


The Hot Canary (A Brian Quinn Fanfic)

by Queso0317



Category: Impractical Jokers
Genre: Angst, Animals, Awkward Flirting, Best Friends, Comedy, Dancing, Developing Relationship, Drama, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Implied Relationships, Impractical Jokers - Freeform, Jealousy, Kissing, Love, New York, New York City, Pets, Photography, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Singing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Somewhat alternate universe, sexandthecityreferences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2020-05-12 17:14:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 109,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19233574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queso0317/pseuds/Queso0317
Summary: A NYC photographer gets the opportunity of a life time from a friend to be able to do a photo session for the Impractical Jokers. She manages to catch the eye of a certain Joker and the story unfolds from there. A tale of love, friendship, and a girl just trying to make it in the big city.





	1. Pilot

(OK, so before we start, I just want to give a HUGE shout out to my dear friend, tinyinkstainedbird who inspired me to try out my own story in this fandom. She has two wonderful books out in this fandom, one called Marvel, and one called Pompeii that you should really check out if you have not already! She knows how to tell quite the story and she's an amazing writer! And I thank her again for being my first audience of this story. I probably would have never started this if it wasn't for her!

Anyway, I hope everyone likes The Hot Canary! I've been working really hard on this story but have been holding off posting it for a while because I just wasn't ready to release it, but I just couldn't wait any longer! Comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated! Enjoy!)

 

********************************************

 

 

*Click*

*Flash*

*Click*

*Flash*

That was pretty much the sum of Nova Brady's life. A series of clicks and flashes, getting her through her day job. 

Hey, at least she liked what she did. Working for an outlet magazine for a cheap knock off of In Home and Garden as a photographer in New York City wasn't a terrible gig. Granted it wasn't the bees knees kinda work for an aspiring photographer such as herself, but it was a stepping stone. 

Yes, a huge, slippery, sinking stepping stone that she hoped would some day take her to the next level before it buried her in the mud, or she slipped off it completely.

The one thing that Nova wanted out of life was to be a successful photographer, one who maybe someday, wouldn't be limited to over-priced stuffy furniture for subjects and maybe, just maybe another avenue would see her as more than an outlet photographer. 

That was her whole reason for coming to the Big Apple, the place where it was all at. The land of opportunity.

To break free from her mundane job in the south as a school photographer. It was the hardest thing she had ever done, to be stripped bare and throw herself to the clutches of the biggest city. She missed her family more than anything and it still killed her to leave them, but she felt that it was the only way to save herself from becoming just another no name photographer who was just as thirsty for Instagram followers as a lab rat in search of a piece of cheese.

 

She had lived in Florida all her life and loved it. That was her home. That was where she was familiar with. Nova could tell you where the best place was to get sushi, or what was the nicest beach to visit that wasn't clustered with tourists. She knew what roads to take to get you to where you were going the quickest, or the roads that would give you the more scenic route when you just needed to stop and smell the roses. It was a place she never thought she would end up leaving, until her dreams became the loudest voice in her head. 

No matter how hard she tried, Nova just couldn't make it in Florida. Not the way she wanted to.

Sure there was a few photography jobs where she lived, but not the ones that she wanted. She worked for a small school photography company and one day she just woke up and realized she wanted more out of life. She had this deep feeling running through her that she was destined for greater things and the only way to to get off of this merry-go-round that she found herself trapped on was to jump off. No matter how much it would hurt. 

She had to break the wheel, to take the biggest risk that she had ever taken. She had to leave Florida and go somewhere there was more opportunity. A place where she had more of a chance of granting her own wishes and starting the biggest adventure she could have imagined. New York City. 

 

Now even though she missed her family dearly, she didn't feel she was leaving a whole lot behind. After a few failed relationships, all she really had were both of her parents and her brother, who was now married. They gave her every speech they had to talk her out of moving.

It was one of the hardest things she ever had to go through, making such a huge life change with their disapproval weighing her down.

Nova was the kind of person where once she made up her mind, that was it. Her family knew that and after countless attempts to get her to stay, they knew they had to let her go to live her life. Even though they all knew she would do great, it was still a hard loss on her little family. Even though she spoke to her mother a few times throughout the week, it was still never the same on both ends. 

It took a while, but eventually the dust settled and she too, became settled. She had landed her job at the magazine and found herself a cozy little apartment on the outer banks of Manhattan. She even made herself a few friends too. 

First there was Robin. An attractive woman, originally from Connecticut that was in Public Relations and knew how to throw a kick ass party, as well as promote one.

Now Robin's life was something else. She knew all the hot spots and quite few hot people too. Being a career woman in that field gave her access to some pretty fabulous parties that Nova grew accustomed to attending. Nova was convinced that Robin never slept, that she just ran off of sparkles and her snazzy personality non-stop. 

She was a woman that was always on the go. Whether it was meeting a client, going to publishing parties, social lunch-ins, or just meeting her friends for a few drinks, she was never stationary. Nova didn't know how she did it. 

They met at a fancy new restaurant in Times Square. Nova went to the opening with her camera to see if she could get some promo shots to boast about and Robin was there to promote the event. 

Now in the real world, a girl like Robin would have never given a girl like Nova the time of day, but girl world was a different story. Nova went to the bathroom to clear her head from all the hype and Robin just so happened to be in the bathroom at the same time. 

Nova was washing her hands when she heard the bathroom stall door creak open behind her and a beautiful face peeked outside. "Hey...pssst" Robin said in a harsh whisper, trying to get her attention. Nova turned around and looked back and forth, not believing that she was the one she was talking to. 

"By any chance, do you have a tampon?" Robin asked in a panic, looking around to make sure no one was coming. 

Nova blinked, taken off guard by her question. "Oh, sure! Here" Nova said, digging through her purse to find what she requested. Robin thanked her up and down and told her to wait outside for her. Even though Nova thought it was a weird request, she waited. 

When Robin finally came out of the bathroom, she thanked her again for helping her out. She told her that she was promoting the restaurant opening and invited her to a private VIP section to buy her a drink. 

From there, the two girls ended up hitting it off and they exchanged numbers before the night was over. Nova was surprised how fascinated Robin was with her story. She couldn't tell if it was pity by the way she talked, or if she was genuinely interested in what she had to say, but from that night on, Robin would always invite her out to her social gatherings. 

She met more people with Robin then she ever did living in Florida, and the people she met with Robin were quite fascinating. One of them was a very pristine girl named Heather Baker, who was a writer for the NY Times, and then there was Violet Smith from Brooklyn, who was also a writer, but wrote children's books.

Robin introduced her to many people but Heather and Violet became her best friends, along with Robin. 

Any night out with these three girls, Nova knew would be a night to remember. The four of them became close and Nova cherished their relationships dearly. They helped her break out of her natural Florida shyness and embrace life and all it had to offer. 

Her friendship with Robin gave her access to some of the best times in her life and she really taught Nova how to live in New York instead of just surviving. Robin felt it was her job to look after this poor southern girl in the big city, and that's just what she did. 

Now even though her apartment was small, the fact that she had an apartment in Manhattan came with some serious expenses. Her job at the Outlet paid well, but not that good, so she needed to find a way to come up with extra cash so she didn't end up on the streets. 

When Nova was in school, she was good friends with all the Thespian kids in theater so naturally, she followed in their footsteps and became a theater kid herself. She discovered that she couldn't act to save her life but through the classes she took, she was able to develop her voice into something that not all the other kids had. 

Her only downfall was that she loved to sing, but hated to perform so while the other kids went on to pursue their dreams of Broadway and the red carpet, she fell in love with her camera and threw herself into the world of photography. 

She never thought that some day, her drama classes and clubs would pay off and give her a transferable skill to help her get herself by in NYC. Shortly after moving to New York, she landed herself a singing gig for a couple of weekends out of the month in a fancy club called The Haunted Star. 

It was a classy joint, though not a place that a lot of people knew about. Their clientele usually consisted of older married couples, wanting escape back a few decades and enjoy older styles of music. They would have acts that ranged anywhere from 20's flapper hits to 50's rhythm and blues. Nova herself was known for her jazzy sultry style, and even knew how to dress the part, making her an established performer there. 

Each night, she would perform two numbers, for three to four nights out of the month, and that was enough to tie up the loose ends on her remaining bills. On average, she would get paid 400$ a night, unless the place was filled up, then the owner would cut her an extra 100$, especially if she really won the crowd over. 

As much as she liked to sing, she didn't consider herself a performer. No matter how many times she got up on that stage, she would always find herself giving herself pep talks in her mirror as she got ready. Stage fright had always been an enemy of hers, and it was always very nerve wracking for her to get up in front of that many people, who she knew were paying good money for even better entertainment. The pressure was always on. 

However, it was a totally different story when she was behind her camera. 

Her camera was her comfort zone. No matter what she was photographing, whether she was working with a team to stage up a room for the outlet magazine, or if she was meeting a model out on the street, Nova took charge in her photo sessions and paraded herself around like she was sure of what she was doing, because she was. It was her area of expertise and she took it very seriously. 

Nova was desperate to get her work out there. All she wanted was to be seen and recognized, but it was hard. She was swimming in a very big pond with an intense amount of surrounding competition. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that this was a highly saturated field but she refused to give up. She knew that all it would take was for the right person to see her work, and then more doors would open for her. She figured if she got this far already, she just had to be patient and wait for her chance. 

Little did she know, that chance was on it's way...

 

Nova was sitting outside of a little brunch cafe in down town Manhattan with Heather and Violet, waiting for Robin to join them. It wasn't a surprise that Robin was running late, she usually was, but the girls understood that her active lifestyle required her to divide her time with others, but not always equally. 

To pass time, the girls were glancing through their menu's and listening to Heather go on and on about one of her hook-up's from a few days ago. 

"I just don't understand...I took all the necessary precautions. I waited until the third date, I let him make all the first moves, the sex was amazing, and now he won't return my calls, I feel like I'm missing something!" Heather whined in frustration. 

"Well, maybe you thought the sex was amazing, it takes two to tango you know" Violet teased, toying with the straw in her glass. 

"Oh no, it was amazing, on both ends! Don't you dare take this away from me! We went at it three times, and we both came...ALL THREE TIMES!" Heather fired back, slamming her first on the table to emphasize her point. 

Violet couldn't help but smirk and Nova looked at her friend, trying to hide hers. "Well sweetie, maybe he's just busy, or maybe he got hit by a bus or something" Nova said, in a half ass attempt to comfort her friend. 

Violet let out a snicker, still looking down at her menu.

"Ahh! Don't even joke about something like that! And I'm sorry, but I don't buy that "he's busy" line. Almost everyone in New York has their phone practically attached to their hand, it takes 2 seconds to say "Good morning" or "I'm good, thanks, how are you", I don't understand these guys, I really thought that we had some chemistry. I always end up being wrong about these things!" 

Nova looked at her strung out friend in sympathy. "Well, I hate to break it to ya but I kinda think you have exhausted all your options on this one, I mean if the guy is not returning your texts or phone calls, don't ya think it's time to move on?" 

Heather paused for a moment as if she were processing her words. "I mean I guess so, but I just really liked what we had going on".

Violet slammed down her menu and hunched over the table to address Heather. "Look, this is an obvious case of "He's just not that into you". You can either keep gripping over this asshole that won't give you the time of day, or you can set him free so another woman can enjoy him for however long she can and wait for the next contestant to come along. Obviously this guy doesn't want to settle down, so why bother forcing him?"

Heather sighed and closed her eyes as if the subject was giving her a headache. "Alright alright, I'll move on...I'll drop him...God, has anyone heard from Robin? We have been sitting here for almost 30 minutes! Where is she?" Heather changed the subject. 

"I don't know, she said she was gonna be a few minutes late but damn!" Nova said, checking to see what time it was. 

"Pfft please, this is classic Robin, always on her own watch, we should get an appetizer while we wait, I'm starving" Violet said, picking up her menu again. 

Like clock work, the girls heard a high pitched "Hey ladies!" from behind them. They all turned around to see Robin marching over to them. She was carrying a few bags and just hanging up her cell phone as she approached. 

"Oh good, you're alive, lets eat!" Violet said sarcastically. 

Robin ignored her comment and continued to greet her waiting friends, pulling up a chair and setting her bags down. 

"Trust me, once you see what I have in these bags for you, that scowl will jump right off your face, here" Robin said, plopping a bag in front of each girl. Once they opened them to see what was inside, each girl squealed in joy. 

"How did you get these?" Heather exclaimed, holding her new black Betsy Johnson purse close to her heart as if she would never let it go. 

"I was doing a promo party for their new store up on Maiden lane and I brought them in so much business, at the end of the day they told me to take whatever I wanted from the floor models, so I had fun!" 

Nova's purse was black and white, decorated in stripes and black roses with a huge black bow covering the front. It was beautiful. "Oh my God, I love it! Thank you thank you so much! You have the best job!" Nova said, now hugging her purse like Heather. 

Robin looked up with a cheesy smile and said "I know" with all the confidence in the world. 

"Lateness forgiven, now let's order some food!" Violet said, shooting Robin a sincere smile. 

After they ordered, Robin sat back and stared at Nova with a smile as if she were hiding something. "What?" Nova asked starting to feel uncomfortable. 

"Tell me that you love me" She finally answered, receiving weird looks from the other girls. Nova couldn't help the chuckle that came out. 

"OK I love you".

"Tell me that I am the bestest, most wonderful friend in the universe and that I am the most beautiful person in your life, go ahead, I'll wait" Robin continued to tease. 

"Gee thanks...Conceded much?" Violet asked, rolling her eyes. 

Nova's eyes shifted back and forth between the girls, not really understanding where Robin was going with this, and cocked an eye brow. 

"Well" Robin began, scooting forward to rest her elbows on the table. "I just so happened to have a meeting with the executive and main producer of TruTV, he heard about my work and he wanted to use me to promote a low rating show that he feels can have a lot of potential, with the right publicist".

"That's great! Sounds like your kinda job, now where do I fit into all this?" Nova asked, still not seeing the point. 

"Well long story short, the meeting went well and he pretty much gave me carte blanche to promote the show how ever I see fit. He is desperate to make this show a main attraction to TruTV and his last publicist didn't even give him half of the amount of ratings he was hoping for, and he knows this show could be big, and I agree."

Robin took a long drink of her mimosa to draw out the suspense. "Well that's great, if he fired his last publicist and picked you, he must know your worth and he trust's you to take over all the PR work" Heather chimed in, filling the silence. 

"Exactly...So, I took a look at the show he is wanting me to work with. It's called Impractical Jokers and I gotta admit, it's pretty funny. It's about four guys that pretty much compete to embarrass each other and if they don't do what they are told then they get thrown into a punishment and have to do something even worse. So anyway, I took a look at the format and all the graphics and the imagery seem out dated. I just feel like they could do so much more to make it more appealing and then let me do what I do best to market their new season coming up, that's where you come in my friend" Robin said, pointing at Nova. 

Nova blinked and said "OK?" still not sure where Robin was going with this.

She had never heard of this show before. Ever since she moved to NY, cable was a luxury that she couldn't afford and she didn't really watch that much T.V. anyway so she didn't think it was worth it. 

"I scheduled a photo session with the guys next week so we can get some new pictures to use for promotion. They are going to be featuring them on their website and magazines, kinda giving the show a re-launch to draw in new viewers...Guess who is going to be conducting their shoot?"

The smile on Robin's face couldn't be any bigger as she watched her friend process this information. 

"Wait..Me?! They want me to do it?!" Nova exclaimed, still not fully believing it to be true. Once Robin nodded her head, Nova, Violet, and Heather all let out a shrill scream in unison. 

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" was all Nova could get out as her heart felt like it was going to beat right of of her chest. She covered her mouth with her hands and tears started to leak out of her eyes. 

"So wait, will they be giving her any kind of photo credit for doing this?" Violet asked after the initial excitement died down. 

"Ohh yeah, she will be getting everything, photo credit, a decent pay check, and her name will even be in the credits at the end of each episode, she will even be granted permission to use whatever photo's she takes in her portfolio" Robin replied snidely. 

"Oh my God, Robin, I can't thank you enough, you have no idea what this means to me, I wish I could find a way to repay you! I feel like this is the big break I've been waiting for!" Nova cried. She began to have flashes of where this could potentially lead her.

"No need to thank me darling, I know you do great work and you will be returning the favor once I show the head of the network your fresh and fabulous images I know you will give me. I'm counting on you to lock in this deal and show these guys what I can do for them" 

Nova didn't let the sudden rush of pressure ruin her proud moment. She listened to Robin carefully as she explained the details of where and when the session was to take place and what kind of pictures they were looking for. 

"Just try to capture images that reflect their personalities and have fun with it. These guys are a riot and I took a look at some of the photo work from their last season and it was...." 

Robin made a face and a cut throat gesture to let Nova know it was not good. 

"I know you can do better, and you will" Robin assured her. 

The girls continued to talk amongst themselves and Nova was on cloud 9. She was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation. She couldn't believe that she was going to actually get to put her talents towards what she came here for. There was a lot this could lead too and even if it lead to nothing, she would still have this experience to put on her resume. Surely someone would give her a chance after this, they had to!

The first thing Nova did when she arrived back to her apartment after her brunch was call her mom and tell her all about it...


	2. The Nice Guy, The Picky Guy, and The Bow tie

Nova nervously shifted back and forth outside the TruTV building that Robin gave her directions to, clutching her new Betsy Johnson bag against her side. She was about 45 minutes early and she was debating whether to go inside or not. 

She had gotten up super early that morning to start getting ready for her big photo shoot with the Impractical Jokers. She wanted to look dressy, but not over kill so she settled on a black ruffled sundress that went to her knees with a black over jacket and a pair of black and white flats with bows on them to match her purse. Nova really wanted to wear heels to make her feel taller, but if she was going to be working, she needed to be comfortable. 

After putting a few loose barrel curls in her hair and applying a light layer of tasteful make-up, she was ready...Well, at least her appearance was. 

The truth was, Nova was so nervous walking to that building, she totally skipped breakfast in the fear of hurling it all over the pavement on her way there. She couldn't remember when the last time was that she was this afraid to go do a photo session for someone, perhaps it was when she was still new to the field.

She had researched the Impractical Jokers online and watched a few of their clips on Youtube. Robin was right, they were hilarious!

Joe made her laugh the most, he was her favorite. Between his stupid faces and how brazen he was to accept almost every challenge, He would have her practically in tears for every skit she watched him do. 

Their over all chemistry together on the show made Nova very excited to meet them in person. She actually found herself wishing it was on different terms, considering everything that was at stake if she screwed this shoot up. Not to mention, she would be making a fool of herself in front of not one, but four semi-famous people, and she couldn't let Robin down after she stuck her neck out for her. 

Even though she knew she was an amazing photographer, her nerves still got the best of her. The pressure was on now more than ever. This was her chance to share with the world everything she had to offer. All she had to do was walk through those doors and take that first step...

 

Meanwhile, all the jokers were already up in the photo room where they did all of their promotional photo sessions for the TruTV network. They all got there early to shoot the breeze and hang out before they had their appointment with Nova. 

"So how do you guys feel about our new publicist?" Murry asked his friends as they all settled in. 

"Who Robin? Ehh, she seems OK I guess, a little too early to tell" Q answered. 

"Pete seems to have a good feeling about her, she has tons of ideas to help get the show where it needs to be. He said that she already seems way better than the last guy they had...What was his name...Mark was it?" Joe chimed in. 

"Pfft...If she's any better than Mark, I already like her" Sal said in a sassy voice. 

"Yeah Mark sucked, he totally jacked up our ratings for our first two seasons, I really hope this Robin chick can help turn us around, it sounds like she knows a lot of people in the business, did you know she worked with the PR firm that produced Americas Next Top Model?" Murr added. 

"Wowza, someones been doing their research" Joe said, flicking his eye brows at him. 

Before Murr could snap back at him, the phone rang. Sal wheeled over in an office chair and casually picked it up. 

"Hey this is sue from downstairs, I just wanted to let you know that your photographer just arrived, I sent her up to you guys, she should be strolling in in a couple of minutes" 

"Oh OK, thank you, I'll let the guys know" Sal said, before hanging up the phone.

He turned to face the others who were casually sitting around him, waiting to see what that was about. 

"That was Sue, she said that the photographer is here and she's on her way up" Sal reported. 

"Oh OK, cool" Joe said in a relaxed voice, casually making eyes at Q. Once Q caught on, he and Joe both smirked back and forth. Q and Joe had this thing where on set they could pretty much make out what the other one was thinking without them actually saying anything. This worked as a huge advantage whenever they were around Sal and Murry. 

All the sudden Joe and Q both screamed "HIDE!" at the top of their lungs, making Sal jump out of his skin. Joe and Q took off running in opposite directions in search of their hiding space while Murr and Sal scrambled to get up, still not 100% sure what was going on. 

"What are we doing?" Sal said in a high pitched voice as he looked around for a good spot. "Is this a challenge?" Murr asked as he dove underneath a table covered in a sheet. 

"I don't know, it's fun" Joe laughed as he ducked behind a giant TruTV poster prop. Sal started to laugh and tried to look for a place to hide. 

"Think of it as an initiation" Q joked.

"Guys, we are going to give this poor girl a heart attack! I don't think this is a good idea!" Sal laughed. 

Luckily it was a decent sized room, polluted with photography stuff and props. There were a few different backdrops set up and Sal and Q both hid behind two that were on opposite sides of the room. 

"SHHHHHHH!" Q and Joe hissed from their hiding spots as they heard the door open. 

Now all they had to do was wait to see who she found first...

 

As Nova gathered her wits up, she walked through the glass doors of where the photo shoot would be taking place. 

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Yup, this was definitely a photo studio all right. Robin told her not to bring anything and that they had everything there that she would need, Nova could see that she wasn't kidding. She put her hand over her heart and breathed, still debating to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming.

She walked in the room, wide eyed and in complete amazement. There were multiple backdrops set up with tons lights, cameras, lenses, props, literally everything she needed. And it was all top of the line equipment too, stuff that Nova would have never been able to afford, even if she worked every single weekend at The Haunted Star and her job at the Outlet. 

She temporarily forgot her nervousness and became caught up in her curiosity of all this elaborate gear that she would soon get to use. 

The studio was pin-drop quiet. Nova knew she was early and she figured the guys were probably at lunch or something and wouldn't be here until the scheduled time. She was happy that she decided to come in early so she could get a chance to explore and get familiar with everything they used. 

She felt like a kid in a candy store. Never had she seen anything so beautiful in her life. They used Nikon D850's, a camera that Nova never thought she would get her hands on. She picked up the camera and fiddled around with it a bit, getting used to the weight of it in her hands and scrolling through a few of the settings. 

After she was done with the camera, she moved onto the lights. It was a brand that she was not familiar with, but they still looked very nice and very expensive. They had all different kinds of umbrellas and soft boxes that Nova couldn't wait to experiment with. After she made up her mind of what lighting schemes to go with when they started, she then moved onto the backdrops.

Specifically, the backdrop that Q was hiding behind. 

As she walked up to it, it was a just a plain white backdrop, but the fabric that was used to create it was very high quality. Nova stepped onto the set and walked to the back. She wanted to run her hand over the surface to see if she could get a feel of what fabric was used. She had never seen such a sturdy white back drop before, it wasn't the least bit see through. 

In fact, it was so solid, Nova couldn't even make out Q's silhouette, standing behind it, only mere inches away from her. The only thing separating them was the material. 

Sal managed to peek out from the backdrop he was hiding behind, and he had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't laugh. Q could see his face turning red and he closed his eyes, knowing that she was close. 

When Nova picked up her hand to brush the material, she felt her hand hit against something solid on the other side. She cocked her head to the side and scrunched her eye brows, not sure what her hand was hitting. The backdrop was not up against a wall so that eliminated that possibility. 

She ran her hand over it again and gasped when she realized it felt like a human body on the other side. Right away, Nova's senses heightened and she felt her beating heart make itself known. 

With extreme caution, she slowly moved to peak around the backdrop with wide eyes. She peeled back the wall and let out a high pitched yell when she became face to face with Q. "Hi" was all he said and she almost jumped right out of her little black flats. 

She took a step back and caught her foot on one of the light stands and flew backwards, landing on her butt. 

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry, are you OK?" Q exclaimed as he rushed to help her up. 

The room erupted in laughter as each joker came out from their hiding space and came into her view one by one. 

This was not the way Nova planned to start her day. 

She immediately became flustered from all the excitement and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She looked around at each of the jokers that were now approaching her.

"Are you OK?" Q asked her again as he held out her hand for her to take. "Oh my goodness! Ahhh That was so embarrassing...Ahhh I'm such a spazz" Nova groaned covering her face with her hands. 

Right away all the jokers surrounded her, feeling bad that they scared this poor girl as bad as they did. Together Sal and Q helped her up and everyone took turns giving her a hug, making sure she was OK. 

"You guys scared the shit outta me!" She exclaimed, causing the guys to laugh again.

Nova swore she was fine but to be honest, her ankle and her wrist were a little sore from catching her fall. They all felt pretty bad that she took a fall on their account and she didn't want them to feel any worse. 

"Don't worry, you're not as much of a spazz as Sal when he gets scared, all it takes for this grown man to turn into a little girl is a room full of cats!" Joe joked, trying to make her feel better. He kept his arm around her shoulders as he watched Sal bitch about his comment just like he knew he would. 

"For real though, are you sure you're OK? I would say we didn't mean to scare you...But that's an obvious lie" Q said with a chuckle. 

"Yeah I'm OK, trust me, I'll be remembering this moment when I draw fake mustaches all over your pictures tonight" Nova sassed back to show that she wasn't mad. 

Right away the guys roared over her comment and became loud and obnoxious. "Ohhhh! She's got jokes! See! this girl is already fitting in!" Joe boasted. It didn't take long for Nova to realize he was the loudest among the group. 

"What's your name sweetie?" Sal asked her. 

"Ohh! I'm sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself, I'm Nova, Nova Brady" She said, sticking out her hand to shake hands with them. They all introduced themselves as well, even though it was pointless because Nova already knew who they were from watching them on Youtube. 

"So can I call you Super Nova? Or Nova Scotia?" Joe asked once they were past their formalities. 

"Its actually Nova like the car, the 1979 model specifically, but you can call me whatever you want, ha ha, I guess you can tell my dad was the one who named me."

"Well he knew what he was doing then because that's a sweet freaking car" Q said with a smile. Nova couldn't help the blush that formed on her cheeks. The guys smirked at Q, not wanting to openly tease him to spare Nova any further embarrassment. 

There was a small silence and Nova decided to be the one to break it. "So, now that you know me and I know you, shall we get started?" 

They guys all agreed and together they shuffled over to where all the equipment was. It took Nova a few minutes to get things set up the way she wanted to. Joe helped her out, being familiar with all the photo equipment. She learned in the time it took her to set up that he actually did photography as a hobby from time to time, and she appreciated his help. 

Once all the lights were set and ready, Nova began taking the guys one by one and doing individual photos with each of them. Nova requested that the guys all go wait somewhere else while she photographed to not disturb her while she worked. 

Granted they all were hilarious to be around when they were together as she knew they would be, but they were still a distraction to one another and they understood why she wanted to be one on one with each of them while she took their individual shots. So they graciously made themselves busy in the time it took to photograph each one. 

It was interesting to see what each guy was like away from the group. She was really able to see their personalities shine and she felt like she got to know them more on a personal level. That was one of the things she enjoyed when she was behind the camera.

She first started off with Joe. Joe stood in the middle of the backdrop awaiting Nova's directions. Now that Nova was getting started, all her nerves started to come back to her. She felt stiff and unsure of herself which never happened to her when she was on a job. This was definitely something new. 

She took a few basic shots of Joe and he could tell that her anxiety was getting to her. Finally after a few more staged looking photos, Joe finally made a signal for her to give him the camera. Nova didn't understand why he was stopping all the sudden but reluctantly gave him the camera anyway. 

He set the camera down and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Sweetie, relax! OK? It's just you and me in here, you are sweating more than I am and I didn't even think that was possible, there's no need to be nervous" He said gently. 

"I'm sorry...I just..." She started to say but then cut herself off and looked away. "Listen, OK, watch me" He said, trying to redirect her attention to him. "Breathe in, Breathe out, do it with me" He ordered, making her take a few deep breath's with him. 

She did as she was told and tried to get a grip on herself. "I'm sorry" She apologized again. "I'm just under so much pressure...it's-" 

"It's OK, don't be sorry. Look, I can tell you are new at this, maybe not to photography but I can tell you have never done a shoot like this before, and that's OK, everyone has to start somewhere, right? You are not at all cocky or arrogant like most of the photographers that waltz in this place, and that's a good thing, but you have got to relax and know who you are, We are not the ones that will give you shit, just have fun with it" Joe said reassuringly. 

There was something about his voice that was so comforting, he kinda reminded her of her dad. Nova took another deep breath and looked him in the eyes. The sincere look he was giving her made her nerves go away. "Just treat this as any other gig you would do" she told herself, and just like that she was able to loosen up and continue. 

Joe was something else. Almost all the pictures she took of him made her laugh. He was so silly! He kept looking into the camera and giving her these intense direct looks that would send her into a fit of giggles. Joe was happy that he was able to get her to loosen up by doing what he did best, making people laugh.

He used the most of the props out of the four of them and he was just as creative as she was when it came to coming up with poses. He changed outfits a few times to get casual and more formal looks and by the time Nova felt like she had enough footage, she didn't realize that she had already spent close to two hours with him. 

It was now Sal's turn. Sal was a really nice guy, and Nova genuinely liked his personality, but damn! He was the most picky subject she had ever photographed. He wanted to see almost every single photo she took of him, and he would either respond with "Oooh, I like that" or "Ew, let's do another one". 

Nova didn't take it personally. He was very polite to her through the session and he kept complimenting her personality on how patient she was with him. He knew that he was a pain in the ass, but he appreciated that she didn't roll her eyes or get huffy with him like most of the photographers did that took his pictures. In fact, she really looked like she was having fun the whole time.

She learned that he liked more of a classy look. She admired his sense of style on how everything he wore matched to a T. He had the most outfit changes out of all the guys and she spent almost as long on him as she did Joe. In the end, he told her that he had a really good feeling about all the shots she got of him and he couldn't wait to see them when they got them back. 

He complimented her a few more times, telling her how awesome she was and then went to go tag team Murry to tell him he was next. 

When Nova got into Murr's session, she realized that he had different quirks to him than the other guys. Sure they were all crazy in their own way, but there was something about Murr that made Nova smile and shake her head. He would suggest these very odd poses that Nova found herself constantly tweaking to look more visually appealing.

She couldn't help but wonder if the guys put him up to it to see how many he could get away with. 

He liked every pose she had for him and he had a very unique obsession with bow ties. He brought five different ones to the shoot and had Nova take pictures of him in each one. Granted he had a very attractive smile, so all his pictures came out wonderful. Murr thanked her up and down and told her she did a great job. He had her give him one of her cards and told her that the next time he needed some head shots done, he would look her up. 

Then it was Brian Quinn's turn.

The difference between Brian and the guys was that he hated to get his picture taken, hence the reason why he went last. Nova didn't realize it yet, but she had her work cut out for her with this one...


	3. Hi Stinky

Brian casually walked into the room where the photo shoot was taking place. Nova greeted him warmly and told him to come on in. "Alright, let's do this, I guess I should warn you before hand, I'm not very photogenic" He grumbled, as he made his way to the center of the backdrop. 

"Ohh non-sense, that's just because you have never had me as your photographer" Nova said proudly. Her sessions with Joe, Sal and Murr went so well, she was no longer nervous and felt super confident in herself, despite being so anxious in the beginning. Joe's pep talk really helped her and the energy from the guys was just what she needed to do this. 

"Yeah well, you might just change your mind about that" He said, not sounding convinced. His grim attitude knocked Nova down a peg or two off of her high horse, but she didn't let it completely falter her mood. 

The truth was, Brian didn't mean to be so negative, he just really hated his picture being taken. Even though he was pretty happy with his appearance, he never felt like his photos from these things turned out as good as the other guys and just the whole process felt awkward for him. Joe, Sal, and Murr knew how to be creative and expressive in all their sessions and he always felt so stiff and had trouble getting his pictures to look like what he wanted everyone to see. 

"Did you bring any other outfits to change into?" Nova asked as she adjusted her lights to accommodate his height. "Oh, no I didn't, I just have this" He said, pulling a hat out of his back pocket. 

Nova's expression dropped a little and she said "Oh, well that's OK, I can make it work". 

Q groaned internally. "Let's just get this over and done with" He said to himself. Nova got started with a few basic head shots. She did some of him sitting, some standing, some with the hat on and vice versa. Every time she snapped a picture, she would frown to herself. 

She had to admit, he was a tough cookie to work with. All his photo's looked stage and she could tell through his fake smiles that he didn't want to be here. Nova hated fake smiles in her work, it was a pet peeve of hers. 

She knew in order to get something to impress, she was going to have to dig real deep on this one. 

"OK, I wanna try something new" She said, realizing she was going to have to change tactics. "Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?" He asked, interested in what she had to say but wishing they were done at the same time. Photo sessions always made him so uncomfortable. 

She knew that she couldn't call him out on his smile. Generally, in these sessions, addressing that their smile is fake was not the way to get the smile you wanted, if anything it would trigger the opposite and she never wanted to make anyone feel bad. 

She grabbed a chair and turned it around and instructed him to straddle it from behind. She gave him a simple pose to do with his arms that was suppose to look casual, but didn't exactly come across that way with his stiffness. 

She grabbed his arms and gently guided him into the way she wanted him to pose, making a beep, bop, or boom sound effect every time she positioned each part of him in the right spot. Q couldn't help but watch her in fascination as she worked, getting the feel that she was on to something. He never had a photographer put this much care into taking his pictures, usually they just kept firing away, no matter what he gave them. 

Once he was where she wanted him, she told him to freeze and she pulled up a chair and sat in front to be eye level with him and her camera. "OK, now just sit up, just a little and slightly tilt your head this way" She instructed, signalling him with her hands. 

Q turned his head, but turned it way too much, causing Nova to let out a laugh. He was right, he was pretty bad at this.

"No no no, like this" She said, getting up from her chair and setting the camera down. She gently place a hand under his chin and a hand on top of his forehead and lightly tilted his head into the position she needed him in. He watched her face intently the whole time, causing all the moisture to leave her mouth. Up this close to him, she noticed that he had the sweetest eyes she had ever seen. 

"There, that's more like it, now don't move" She said breaking away and returning to her seat in front of him. "Yes Ma'am" Brian replied, liking the way she took initiative. She clicked a few buttons on her camera and Brian continued to watch her. In that moment, he got the sense that she really knew what she was doing and began to feel more comfortable.

Finally, Nova picked up the camera and held it up to her face. She adjusted the lens to the cropping she desired and pre-focused. Now she just had to do something about his expression. In order to pull out his genuine smile, she knew she was going to have to speak his language, no matter how silly she sounded in the process.

"Say hi stinky!" She said in her most cheesy voice, as if she were talking to a child. 

For a moment, a flash of "what the hell" crossed Brian's face, but then he defaulted and laughed when what she said really hit him. Right before his pose fell, Nova snapped the picture. 

She spun the camera around right away, eager to see the picture she got of him. Brian was still chuckling and she gasped at what she saw. 

"What? Is it that bad?" He asked, arching his neck over the back of the chair, trying to get a look at the image. 

"No! Not at all, You're beautiful! Look!" Nova said excitedly, wheeling her chair over to him so he could see for himself. 

"Ha ha, I'm beautiful?" Brian said as he leaned in to take a look. That was the first time a photographer had ever said that to him. It wasn't taking long for him to realize that Nova was definitely not like most photographers.

Q was speechless at first. "See! You are gorgeous! You have such kind eyes and I really love your smile!" She blurted out in her excitement. Sometimes when she was riled up like this, she couldn't control the truth that spit out of her mouth.

Now he was the one blushing. 

"Wow, look at that. I actually really like that one...Wow..." He said astonished, feeling bad that he doubted her so hard in the beginning.

"Come on! Let's do another one!" Nova said, jumping up from her chair, eager to take more shots. Now that she knew how to pull a good expression out of him, she wanted to run with it. 

She quickly guided him in another pose that they did earlier and again, right before she clicked the shutter release, she said "Say hey chicken!" 

Brian's face lit up from the silliness of the phrase and he played along, saying it back to her. "Did you just call me a chicken?" She yelled and then snapped another photo of him right before he cracked up. This time she jumped up and down from the excitement of getting another flattering photo of him. Again, Brian loved the image she captured, which was rare. 

Now that she was able to break through his cold "I hate pictures" barrier, they were able to have some fun. He began to loosen up and be himself as he became more comfortable with Nova, and in return, Nova didn't have to work so hard to get the shots she wanted. She was starting to see the Q that she saw on the show and it was really shining through in her photos. 

Brian was surprised to admit he was having fun. He relaxed and started to go back and forth with Nova, sassing each other.

"Look at you! Look how good you look in this one!" Nova cheered. "Ohh, come on, it can't be that-...Oh, I really like that" Brian said, ceasing his doubt. He thought it was cute how she kept complimenting him. Even though he was sure she was only doing it to butter him up to get better photos, it was still very reassuring.

He decided to have some fun with her. 

She would try to direct him in a pose and he would purposely mess it up so she would have to manually get him into position, placing him with her hands. He did it because she would make these cute little faces, acting like she was frustrated with him, but it was obvious that she really wasn't. She would be very theatrical when trying to get him back into place and then crack up laughing when she got back to her camera to see that he would change it and do something funny. 

And she sure had a beautiful laugh...

She even got him to do various facial expressions and show some originality by coming up with his own poses and using various props, though he was finding he liked it better when she did all the work. 

They were nearing towards the end of his session and now she had him squatting on the floor into the last pose she had for him. They had been shooting for over an hour now and both Nova and Q were very happy with the material she was able to get from him. Q didn't think it was possible, but she sure surprised him. 

She was squatting in front of Q, trying to have him mirror the pose she was trying to get him to do. It didn't look so good on her because she was in a dress and she found it awkward to hold herself in such a way. Because of that, Brian wasn't really getting it. 

He found it funny watching her try though and he couldn't help but laugh at her. 

"You look like you're taking a dump" He joked. "Ugh! this is what I get for trying to look cute today" She groaned. 

 

She was trying to mimic a hip hop pose that she had done with someone a few years ago for a private album cover, by having him squat and hold his arms out, but it just wasn't translating well to the camera. 

"Here, try tilting your arms like this" She said, showing him what to do. "Like this?" He said, not at all doing what she wanted him to do. He couldn't help the smile on his face from the way she looked as she tried to do it with him while trying to be modest, being in a dress. 

"Nooo, more this way" She said. She reached up to adjust his arms and lost her balance, completely falling into him. She let out a squeal as she put her hands on his chest to try and catch herself, but only ended up knocking him over as well. Together with her on top of him, they fell into the backdrop, causing it to crash down on top of them. 

"Holy shit! are you OK?" Brian asked, looking down at her in concern. Nova was in a fit of laughter from how stupid that whole scene must have looked. She was still on top of Brian and couldn't even tell him she was fine from how hard she was laughing. They were covered in the white material and once Brian realized that she was laughing and not crying, he began to laugh too. 

Nova eventually rolled off of him and laid by his side, face up with Brian's arm under her head as they both remained immobilized from their giggles. They both had tears steaming down their faces and were completely covered in the backdrop from their knees up. 

All the sudden they heard a loud and obvious sound of someone clearing their throat and they scrambled up from under the backdrop, thinking it was one of the guys. Only it wasn't. 

"Robin! Hey! When did you get here? I didn't know you were coming!" Nova exclaimed, rising to her feet and dusting off. 

Robin didn't answer them and took a few steps closer, her Manolo's clacking on the tile floor, looking back and forth between her and Q, who was now in a sitting position on the ground. 

"What's going here?" She asked with a pursed expression. Nova's smile dropped a little as she looked down at Q and then back up to her friend. "Ohh, nothing, we were just uh...We were just finishing up with our photo session, I'm about to call everyone back in so we can do some group shots" Nova answered, trying to sound as normal as possible. 

"Ohh I see...What happened to the back drop?" she asked, looking around at all the mayhem they caused. 

Suddenly Nova began to feel like she just got caught doing it in her parents bedroom. She was feeling very judged by her friend and she didn't do anything wrong.

Before Nova could answer, Q rose to his feet, saying "Ohh, yeah, that was kinda my fault, she was trying to show me how to do something and I just couldn't get it...we ended up falling into the...Yeah, you know..." 

Q was beginning to feel the same way. The air quickly became filled with tension. 

"Well, far be it from me to interrupt, I was just coming by to check up and see how things were going. I spoke to Pete and so far he has had nothing but positive remarks, says the guys love you" Robin said. Even though it was good news, she still had an edge in her voice that was unsettling. 

"Ohh...That's great, yeah...It's been fun" Nova replied, stealing glances at Q whose expression remained stoic. "We uh, we got a lot of great material for you to use so the show."

"Wonderful, I can't wait to see it...It looks like you got your hands pretty full here so I'll let you get back to it, I'll see you later" She said with her eye brows raised. Nova knew a fake smile when she saw one, but she remained polite, not wanting to cause waves. 

"Oh OK, bye, I'll see you later" Nova said, throwing that fake smile right back at her, only she masked hers better than Robin. 

Q made a motion to say bye to Robin, but she stopped and gave him a look up and down, and then walked away like the queen bee she was. "Call me" she whispered to Nova, before she vanished behind the door. 

Nova furrowed her eyebrows and couldn't help but wonder what all that was about. 

She plastered her fake smile back on and turned to Q. "Sorry about that, I think that she's just under a lot of pressure from your network. She really wants to impress this McPartland guy and I think he's been making her jump through hoops for him" She said, feeling that she had to excuse Robin's cold behavior. 

"Ohh no, it's OK, I get it. I can imagine the stress from a job like that, I'm sure she was just having a bad day, She was cool the last time I met her" he said to be polite. To be honest, he thought her friend was a bitch with a capital B.

"Yeah, this job really means a lot to her...Well, I guess we should clean this up and call the guys in, huh?" Nova redirected.

Once they got the backdrop back up to where it was, Q went to go hunt down the guys and bring them back to the studio. 

They came back in, all smiles and friendly faces, ready to take some more photos. Nova directed them over to the largest backdrop and they began. They all seemed more excited now that they were together.

They were having a blast! Nova really enjoyed being around all of them and they seemed to vibe just as well with her. She started with a few basic group shots of all the guys smiling and then moved onto the more creative ones. 

It was so funny to watch them all together after getting to know them individually first. Even when not on camera, they couldn't seem to stop pranking each other. Sal and Q would go pose for a photo and Joe would jump right in doing a complete photo bomb, messing up their pose. Granted it made for some pretty funny shots, and Nova had to refrain from laughing as Sal got pissy.

"It's OK, you can go ahead and laugh, we are all friends here" Joe said, watching her try to keep composed. The energy that they had going in the room was so positive, other crew members began to show up to see what all the commotion was about. It began to turn into a party. 

And they loved every single idea she had! Nova felt like she could be as creative as she wanted with no judgement. She did one shot where she had them do a Three Stooges like pose. Sal was smacking Murr upside the head while Joe acted like he was going to poke out Q's eyes while they both made goofy faces and Murr was jabbing Joe in his side. Then they did another one where she had them all looking and pointing their fingers in different directions, referencing a skit that she had seen online.

Then Joe took off his pants and they all took a few full body shots together, posing normally which turned out pretty funny. The crew was starting to get involved now and everyone was participating. Nova got the impression that they were no longer taking photos for promotion, they were just having fun.

Different members of the crew were jumping in and acting like they were kicking the jokers in the crotch. They were photo bombing like crazy and Nova found that her face was starting to hurt from laughing so hard. She really felt like she fit in with all these people and it ended up being the best session she ever did. She was trying to not make it obvious, but she found her eyes constantly wandering over to Q.

At one point, Joe stopped her. "Alright alright, your turn missy! Give me that camera!" He said, marching up to her. "Wait...Noo, you don't want to do that....We still have a few more pictures to do and we won't be able to do them if my face breaks the camera!" She said sheepishly. "What? Get outta here! You are so cute, you're not gonna break the camera, give it to me" Joe assured, taking the camera out of her hands. 

Sal and Murr pulled her into the middle of the backdrop where Q and a few crew members were standing and Joe started to take a few shots of them all together with their arms around each other. Q was right next to her in every shot.

Sal then shooed everyone away so it was just her and the jokers. Joe passed off the camera to another crew member after taking an up close and personal shot up his nose, and then jumped in the photo with them. 

They took a few more posed photo's of the five of them just being silly and then Q piped up saying he had an idea. Without warning, he put his arms around Nova and lifted her up in the air, causing her to let out a surprise yell. "Grab her feet!" Q said, trying to keep a hold of her as she tried to struggle out of his grasp. The room was full of laughter and Nova just went with it. Each guy grabbed a hold of her and together they held her up off the ground and Nova finally held her hands up and just went with it. 

The crew member that was now operating the camera snapped a few pictures, and then they all finally released her, Q being the one to put her back on her feet. 

They took a few prom-like photos, where each guy took turns standing behind her. This sequence became funnier the more they shot because it started out with Sal and Murr taking legit photos with her, still being their goofy selves. Then Joe stood behind her and made one of his crazy faces that always put Nova in stitches. Then Q took one with her, wrapping his leg around hers and burying his face in her neck as if he was the prom date that just couldn't wait to get to the hotel room. 

Then the guys started to do the prom poses with each other and Nova doubled over from laughter, along with the rest of the crew.

It was in this moment when Sal started to catch on to how handsy his friend was being towards this girl. After they snapped the photo, Nova turned her focus to someone else and Sal smacked Q in the arm to get his attention. He looked at Nova and then looked at Q, pointing his finger between the two of them. "What?" Q mouthed with furrowed eyebrows. "You should get her number" Sal mouthed back aggressively. Q made a face, shaking his head back and forth and making a gesture that signaled that she probably wouldn't be into it and waved it off. 

Hitting Q again with more force, he half mouthed, half whispered "Just do it, she's cute! Ask her out!". 

Finally Q rolled his eyes and softly said "We'll see", and then walked away, hoping Sal would drop it. The truth was, Brian was starting to dig Nova. She was cute, sweet, and had a bubbly personality. He thought she was great at what he did and she got his humor so that was a big plus. He wasn't planning on asking her out but now that Sal put the thought into his head, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he did. 

Was he really ready to let this girl go and write her off as just a friendly encounter? Or could there be something more there...


	4. Consensual Kidnapping

After the session with the Jokers was over, Nova said her goodbyes to the guys and the crew that came to hang out towards the end. She really had a great time and it was something that she probably would have done regardless if she was getting paid or not. 

It was fun getting to know everyone off screen and take their pictures. She said goodbye to Joe first, then Murr, then Sal and Q, receiving big crushing hugs from each of them. They told her that if she ever wanted to come by and hang out, or visit them at a filming location, she was more than welcome too. She fully planned on taking them up on that offer. 

"Don't be a stranger" Joe said before reaching in for one last hug, pulling her up off the ground. In the short amount of time they spent together in that studio, she felt like she actually formed a connection to everyone. She was sad it was over. 

"I won't! As soon as I go home I am going to work on these images and I should have them back to you guys sometime next week. I'll burn them all on a few different flash drives so that way you all have copies."

"Yes! that's awesome! Thank you!" Sal said happily, giving her a fist bump. 

"Yeah we usually don't get the pictures from these things right away, sometimes we don't get them at all. Since I have your number, I'll shoot you out a text so you have mine and you can let me know when they are done. We can meet you somewhere so you don't have to come all the way to the network to drop them off" Murr stated.

Q couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at what Murr just said. "How the fuck did Murry of all people get this girl's number?" he thought to himself. He couldn't help the little ping of jealousy that he felt, knowing that. 

"Yeah, that sounds great! I'll do that!" Nova replied. She took one last look at all over them and sighed. "Well, I guess I better get going, I think they want me to fill out some paper work downstairs and I still gotta walk to the subway."

They said their goodbyes one last time and Nova was on her merry way. Once she was in the elevator, she smiled, waving goodbye as the doors closed and then she was gone.

Sal then turned to Q. 

"So did you ask her out?" He pressed, showing no restraint. "What?! You were going to ask her out!? Why wasn't I informed of this?" Joe piped up excitedly. 

"Ehh, I didn't want to embarrass her. And besides, it sounds like Murr already beat me to the punch" Q said holding his hands up. 

"You idiot! The only reason why I had her number is because she gave me her business card, She's gonna do some head shots for me in the future!" Murr yelled, hitting Brian in the shoulder. 

"What!?" Q and Sal both exclaimed. 

"Yeah, I didn't ask her out" Murr stated, laughing at the stupidity of his friend. 

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR! GO GET HER MAN! She's getting away!" Joe screamed dramatically, slapping and shoving Q in the direction of the elevators. 

Sal joined in and Q began to run to the elevators, mostly to get away from his friends, yelling "OK OK, I"M MOVING I"M MOVING", while swatting them away. He knew that he had time to catch her if she still had to fill out paper work. 

After Q left, Joe shook his head and laughed. "So when did this happen? I didn't know he was gonna ask her out?" Joe said to Sal. Sal shook his head and rolled his eyes. "He's such a dope, I don't even think he knew that he wanted to ask her out. You should have seen the looks he was giving her during the shoot, I'm surprised you guys didn't catch on, he was like a love struck puppy!"

"Wow, I really didn't notice, I mean she seems like a nice girl, pretty cute too. I hope she says yes. I wouldn't mind seeing her around here more." Murr added, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Yeah, let's just hope he doesn't screw this up, he needs to get back in the game man!" Sal said with attitude. 

 

Back down stairs, Nova was just finishing up the last of the few privacy documents she had to sign. They explained to her in the contract that she was not to post these pictures on any social media sites and that they were only to be used in her private portfolio to show potential employers and for whatever the network needed them for and that was it. Nova completely understood and had no problems agreeing to these terms. She had seen documents like these before and she understood what they meant. 

Then they cut her a check for twenty-five hundred dollars, telling her she would get the other half when she turned in her images. Her jaw practically hit the floor. 

"Wait! That's only half?!" Nova exclaimed, blown away at how much she was getting paid for this thing. It was by far the most she had ever gotten paid for a gig in her life!

The lady behind the desk just smiled politely and nodded her head. Nova couldn't believe it. Robin said she would be compensated but damn! This was quite generous. She was going to have to thank her again for giving her this opportunity. 

Which reminded her, she still had to give her a call tonight...

Nova thanked the lady up and down for all her help and she walked out the doors of the TruTV building. The moment she opened the door, her uplifted spirits were immediately thrown to the ground. It was pouring outside. 

"Ughhh! Typical New York!" Nova groaned in anguish, looking at what she was about to be forced to walk into. The subway that she needed to take was four blocks away from where she was at and the sky was so black with heavy rain, it did not look like it was going to let up anytime soon. And she had no money to take a cab.

"Of course, the day I leave my umbrella home" She thought to herself. She knew her clothes would eventually dry, but she was worried that her new Betsy Johnson bag would be ruined forever. And she really loved that bag. 

She set her bag down next to her feet and took her jacket off to cover her purse, deciding tough it out. She then heard a voice behind her say "Need a ride?"

Nova whipped around to see Q standing there, leaning up against the wall as if he had been there this whole time. "Ohh...that's OK, I don't want to trouble you, but thank you anyway, that's very nice of you to offer" Nova politely replied back, stealing glances at the dark clouds that surrounded them. 

"Oh stop, You are not troubling me, I offered. Come on, it's no big deal. My car is in the parking garage, we don't even have to go out there to get to it" Q tried to convince her. 

"No, really, it's fine! I can tough it out, it's really not a big deal" She said, really not wanting to inconvenience him. She didn't feel that it would be very professional of her and with Robin's name on the line, she didn't want to push it. 

"Come ooon" Q pressured, his New York accent coming on strong. "I owe you one after getting all those amazing shots and for making you fall on your ass and embarrass yourself."

Nova couldn't help but snicker at his words. He sure was persistent. "You don't owe me anything...The network is paying me five thousand dollars for those pictures....Five thousand dollars!" She repeated just to stress her point. 

"That is the most I have ever made over one gig in my entire life, hell I don't even make that much in a month! Trust me, you owe me nothing." Nova justified.

Q frowned at how stubborn she was being. She really wasn't making this easy on him but he wasn't giving up. He took a look at her purse on the ground and before she had a chance to stop him, he snatched it up. 

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Nova cried, following him as he took a few steps backward, clutching her purse firmly to his chest. 

With an intense look, her told her "If you ever want to see this bag again, you will follow me."

Nova blinked with a dumbfounded look on her face. She couldn't believe that he was really doing this. She went to reach for it and he pulled away, raising his eyebrows and looking at her mischievously. He then turned around, holding her bag tightly with two hands and power walked the opposite way, leaving her no choice but to follow him. So much for professionalism...

"You know, in our country this is considered as stealing!" Nova called out behind him, trying to keep up with this fast pace. 

"Actually I would like to think of it more as consensual kidnapping, but then again, what do I know?" Q responded back, dodging through people. 

They made it to the elevator and Q quickly pushed the button multiple times when Nova stepped in. "You think you are so slick, don't you mister Quinn" Nova said with her arms crossed, shaking her head from side to side. "Taking a ladies Betsy Johnson like that, shame on you."

Q smiled at her mischievously. "Ohh but my plan worked, now I have you all to myself" He said in a creepy villainous voice, rubbing his hands together with her purse still clutched against his side. 

Nova blinked at his words and Q's smile faded. "Uh Oh...Wait, I didn't mean that to be as creepy as that must have sounded" He said, quickly back tracking his words. Nova couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes. 

"Yes, as we head down to the parking garage that holds some high statistic on where awful things can happen to women, definitely not creepy at all" Nova said nonchalantly. Q tensed up and shrugged, saying "Yeah sorry, I guess I should have really kept that one to myself."

Nova turned her head to the side, eyeing him with a smile and said "Again, not helping your case."

Once they arrived on the garage floor, Nova's purse still remained in the clutches of Brian Quinn as he led them to where he was parked. "You know you can give me back my bag right? You already got me to come with you" She said, still trailing after him. 

"NEVER!" He said dramatically. 

"So, is this how you get all the ladies? By holding their purses ransom until they give in?" Nova teased, approaching Brian's red jeep. 

"Ohh yeah, sometime's I'll even take their car keys too, they love it!" Q replied playfully. 

Nova snorted and rolled her eyes as she waited on the passengers side of the Jeep for him to let her in. He unlocked the door and quickly grabbed a stack of junk that was in the passengers seat, carelessly throwing it in the back before she sat down. 

When she got in, he finally handed her her purse back and gave her a wink. "You can move that seat back if you want, the bar is in the front" He said as he buckled up. Nova did the same and told him that it was fine the way it was. She gave him the address to her apartment and as soon as he punched it into his phone they were off. 

"So, how did you get into photography?" He asked, breaking the silence as they left the TruTV building. 

"Ohh, hee hee, kinda a funny story, believe it or not, I went to college for musical theater and I had to take a beginners photography course as part of the curriculum, and I just kinda fell in love from there."

"No shit? Wow that's cool, so were you trying to be an actress?" He asked as he put on his blinker to change lanes. 

"Yeah, I guess I was going for Broadway, that's what all my friends were into. When I graduated, I still couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with my life and I took drama classes in high school, so I was familiar with the field. Almost all my friends applied to theater programs for college so I did the same. Once I got into school, I took that photography class and I found out that I was really good at it, so good that I was the top of my class and I just really felt like I was on to something" Nova explained. 

"Wow, that's cool, so when did you decide to switch majors?" Brian asked. 

"When the class was over and I realized how much I missed it" Nova replied, smiling at the memory of when she was so unsure if she was making the right decision.

"I just felt so pressured. Everyone was hounding me on what my plans were after high school and I felt like if I gave them any other answer other than college, I would be judged. And back then, stuff like that really bothered me, so I just jumped into the first thing that came to mind, even though I didn't like it as much as everyone else."

"Yeah, that's rough, but I get it. I kinda went through the same thing. I really loved the idea of being a comedian. Me and the guys, growing up, we were known for making people laugh and doing stupid pranks, and I really enjoyed it. But when it came to doing it as a career, I felt like no one ever took me seriously. My family considered it as a hobby, and according to them, you don't make a living off hobbies like that. Long story short, I became a NYC fireman and then I became every bodies hero, literally and figuratively" Q told Nova. 

"Ohh wow! You were a fireman? Now that's cool!" She said in surprise. 

"Yeah it was, and I did enjoy it, but I just felt like there was always something missing in my life" He said while paying attention to the road. 

"I would do little gigs here and there with The Tenderloins while working for the fire department and then Joe and Murr started looking into what we would need to do to make it a TV show. Next thing ya know, we were able to make it happen and then I quit the department after the first season to pursue my career in show biz, after I saw it really start to take off."

"So what does your family think of you now? If you don't mind me asking?" Nova asked. 

"They are pretty proud of me...I think a part of my dad still wishes that I stayed a fireman but they are happy that I was able to make it work as a comedian and that I got to do it with my best friends, it all still surprises me on how everything worked out."

"Yeah, I get that way too sometimes, I always wonder what old me would say if she got a glimpse into the future and saw where we ended up. I don't think I would have believed it" Nova said, still clutching her Betsy Johnson. 

"Yeah it's funny how things work out sometimes...So did you go to school around here?" Q asked as he shifted lanes again. 

"No, I'm actually not from here. I'm originally from a small town in Florida, next to the Tampa Bay area. I originally went to USF for acting, then I switched majors and took a few classes in photography to get me going and then, as bad as this sounds, I dropped out."

"You dropped out?" Brian questioned, surprised by her words. 

"Yeah...I got a decent starter job photographing dance studios which taught me a lot and I realized that I didn't need to keep wasting money that I didn't really have on schooling. You don't really need it to be a photographer so a lot of what I know is based off of experience and me just teaching myself by soaking up everything I can from books, the internet, Youtube videos, and just messing around with my camera. It's actually been working out for me"

"Well that makes sense, if it still gets you to where ya need to be then why waste all that money, it's obviously working for you" Brian agreed, looking over to give her a smile. 

Nova smiled back and fidgeted with her purse straps. Brian wanted to keep the conversation going so he proceeded to ask her more questions about her life, trying to get to know her a little better. 

"So what made you come to New York?" He asked, breaking the silence. 

"Ohh...It's kind of a long story. I felt like I just got stuck in some kind of rut in Florida...Like I was only going to get so far. I just had to break free and I needed an adventure. I figured what better of a place to do that then the big apple where the opportunity is endless. Florida just wasn't good enough for me anymore, I wanted so much more out of life and I don't think I would have been able to get it if I stayed."

"Yeah, I don't know much about photography but I feel like you are definitely in the right place, So do you do anything else other than promotional shoots?"

Nova thought that it was cute that he thought doing photo sessions like she did for them today was how she made a living. She wished she did, but unfortunately, things weren't always that simple. "Ohh, no, I don't...Well, yes I do but I don't normally do sessions like that for big networks...Not to sound like a complete novice or anything, but you guys were kinda my first one..."

"Really? Wow...You coulda fooled me. You were great at what you did back there. You seemed like such a natural. I think you were the best photographer we have ever had for one of those things. No one has ever generated that much hype at a photo shoot to attract everyone in the building" Brian complimented. 

Nova blushed at his remarks as she felt a wave of heat wash over her. "Oh, thank you for saying that, though you probably wouldn't be if you saw how nervous I was when I started, Joe had to kinda talk me down a bit, this was a big deal for me, I guess it's a good thing I started with him" She said with a light chuckle.

Her words made Q feel bad about how doubtful he was towards her at the beginning. 

"Yeah, Joe's a good guy, I love him, he's my brother....So then what do you do when you are not photographing D-list celebrities like myself?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Well right now I'm working for a home and garden outlet magazine. I arrange sets of furniture and take pictures of what the rooms would look like and sometimes they even send me to different locations if they are focusing on a certain theme. They will send me out with some merchandise to photograph in various locations. For example, they once flew me all the way out to Cancun because they were doing a tropical theme for summer and they wanted a picture of the beach for their front cover and some of the beach furniture photographed with the water in the background" Nova explained. 

She decided not to tell him about her singing gig because she didn't want to seem like a sell out. 

"Huh, sounds like a good deal, I've been out to Cancun before, it's nice. Definitely a good get away spot" Q said, making a turn. They were getting closer to where she lived and luckily the rain had lightened up and it was only sprinkling. 

"Yeah, I got to spend a whole day there, it was amazing, and it was kinda nice being by myself."

"Wow...Your boyfriend must have really been upset that you went without him" Q said, trying to be smooth. He really wanted to ask her out but he figured he would test the waters first on her status before he took the plunge and potentially made a fool of himself. 

"Ohh...I'm not seeing anyone right now, it's just me" Nova replied with hesitation. Q knew it was a very forward question to ask but he had to be sure before he could bring himself to ask her what had been on his mind the whole time. 

"Ohh come on, you? You can't honestly sit there and tell me that there are not guys beating down your door" He joked so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. 

"Haha, unless they have the wrong address, then no, they most certainly are not!" Nova replied with a laugh.

"Well damn, if a cute girl like you can't get a date, then there is no hope for the rest of us...We might just have to change that" He said awkwardly. It was hard for him to put himself out there for her as much as he was but he knew he couldn't let this girl get out of his car without at least exchanging numbers, and he was running out of time. Also, he knew the guys would never let him live it down if he didn't. 

Nova laughed his words off, not sure how else to respond, as they came to a rolling stop with Q's GPS announcing that they had arrived at their destination. 

"Well, this is me. Thank you so much for giving me a ride...I know I was kind of a bitch about it at first but I'm really grateful I didn't have to walk all this way in the rain" Nova said, unbuckling her seat belt. 

"Ohh, it's OK, I understand. Some weird guy takes your purse and tells you to follow him, I'd be concerned if that didn't raise a few red flags" Q joked. "Yeah...Maybe that was one of the reason's why my mother was so afraid for me to come here" Nova laughed with a shrug.

"Ha ha, yeah, you should listen to your mother, sounds like she knows whats up" Q replied. He began to feel nervous.

Nova chuckled and turned in her seat to face Q. "Well thank you again" She said and then stuck out her hand for him to shake. "It was really nice meeting you and your friends, I guess I'll see ya around."

Q looked at her and then took her hand and smiled. "Yeah, see you around" He said with his voice growing flat. Nova gave him a bright smile and nodded her head. She then opened the door and got out of the car, heading upstairs to her apartment to go ham on editing the pictures she took today. 

Once she was a few steps away, Q closed his eyes and smacked his forehead, internally cursing at himself that she was getting away. 

He was now out of time but that didn't stop him from borrowing a few more seconds.

He finally let out a harsh groan and quickly rolled down his window. "HEY FLORIDA" He called out to her, causing Nova to spin around, with her Betsy Johnson twirling around her body. 

They smiled at each other and Q rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Nova watched him in contempt as he hustled over to her. "Look, uh...I guess I'm kinda bad at these things but I just wanted to ask...Would you wanna go out sometime and get a drink or something...With me" He said uncomfortably. He was internally kicking himself at how stupid he must have sounded.

Nova's face lit up and she gave him a smile that made him weak at the knees. "Sure! Yeah! I would love to...Here, let me dig out my phone" She said happily as she slid her purse off her shoulder and began to rummage around for her cell.

"Really? Sweet! That's great...Here, just give me your number and I'll just put it in my phone and text you" Q said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, noticing that he was having trouble locating hers. 

"Ohh, OK, it's 321- 543- 0987" Nova said as she watched him enter in her digits. Q couldn't believe that he did it, and she said yes!

"Great, I'll shoot you out a text later, thank you" Q said, flashing her a smile that she was starting to seriously admire.

They said their goodbyes again and Nova giddily walked up to the steps of her building with a huge grin on her face. She couldn't believe that that seriously just happened. 

She turned around one more time, quick enough to catch Q make a fist in victory and whisper "Yes" to himself. She quietly laughed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. 

Once she got back to the serenity of her apartment, she closed the door and leaned up against it with a content sigh. She wondered when she was gonna get her first text from him. 

Her heart instantly began to speed up when she felt her phone start to vibrate in her bag, and she hurried to open it up. She had a huge smile on her face, thinking it was Q, already so eager to talk to her. He smile quickly faded when she looked at the caller ID and it said Robin...


	5. Is It Worth It?

(((Let's all give a big thanks to tinyinkstainedbird for helping out with this chapter and preventing me from killing the story! Again she has a 2 part BQ series that is probably one of the most amazing stories I have ever read! Check it out if you haven't already!)))

 

 

"Hey, so how did it go?" Robin asked after Nova answered her phone. "It went great! I really think I nailed it, I just got home, I was gonna start working on the editing process" Nova reported. 

"Ohh great, glad to hear! Did Pete come up and talk to you at all?" Robin asked. "Yeah, he came up for a little while but he didn't say much to me, I think he just wanted to observe what was going on, A lot of the crew came into join us, it was fun! Thank you again so much for giving me this opportunity, I really really appreciate it and I think I will be more likely to get more gigs in the future now that I have this on my resume." Nova said as she began to put her bag down and got into comfortable clothes. 

"What can I say, that's what friends are for" Robin said with lightness in her voice. "So, you and that Q guy seemed like you were enjoying yourselves when I walked in...What was going on there?" Robin asked in curiosity. Nova couldn't help the smile that spread on her face. 

"Ohh, nothing I guess...Well not completely nothing...He kinda asked me out..." Nova said, feeling excited to be able to tell someone about what happened. She then began to give Robin all the details on how she was able to get him to smile, him driving her home, and how he asked her. 

"Ohh...Wow, that's interesting..." Robin responded, showing an odd hesitation. "What?" Nova asked, picking up on the tone in her voice. "Nothing...I just didn't think Q would be the one to sweep you off your feet...Fair warning, I would tread lightly around him, he has a bit of an....Extensive past..."

Nova drew her head back in surprise as her giddy smile was wiped clean off of her face. "Care to elaborate?" She asked, wanting to know the details. Granted she didn't know much about him other than those few clips she saw of the show, but she couldn't help the feeling of wonder. Maybe it would be a good idea to know exactly what she was getting into. 

Robin paused for a moment and said "Maybe it will be easier if I just show you, by any chance are you next to your computer?"

"Yeah, I'll boot it up right now" Nova said, grabbing her laptop and climbing on top of her bed. "OK, I'm gonna send you a few things, you have to promise me you won't show anyone though, this is confidential."

"Yeah sure, you know I won't" Nova said, her interest now really peaking. About five minutes later, Nova's inbox pinged, alerting her that Robin's email came through. She opened it up and after scrolling through a few things she gasped. 

"How the hell did you get all this?" Nova asked, stunned at what she was seeing. "I'm their publicist, it's my job to know all of this so I know how to deflect it if the press ever brings it up to try to use it against them" Robin replied.

Nova kept scrolling through, shaking her head. 

In that email that Robin sent, there was clip after clip after clip of cellphone footage from passer by's recording them. In every single one of them, Brian was drunk and belligerent. He was slurring his words and drooling and hanging all over what ever poor girl just happened to be next to him at the time. 

Nova shut her computer, unable to watch anymore. "How has this not gotten out?" Nova breathed out, still in shock from everything she had just seen. There was no way in hell that the guy in those videos was the same guy that just drove her home and was so sweet to her. There was definitely some darkness there that she didn't notice before. 

"The network had to track down all those people and pay them out so they wouldn't post anything to social media, they had them sign documents and hand over the footage, that's why his slate looks so clean" Robin explained. 

Nova was speechless. Speechless, and disappointed.

Figures, one of the few guys in New York who she actually wanted to talk to was a total drunk behind the scenes and a man whore. She felt like a fool for gushing to Robin on how wonderful he was. 

"I'm sorry sweetie, I just figured I needed to give you a head's up so you can see what you're dealing with here, you're my friend and I was just looking out for you, I didn't want you to find out the hard way."

"No no, I'm glad you showed me this, it...It was a real eye-opener...I just...I guess I'm just a little disappointed. I had no clue he was like this." Nova said, rubbing her forehead. 

After Nova got off the phone, she slid her computer to the side and let out a deep breath. She had fully planned on tackling those pictures when she got home, but now after seeing all that, she lost the gusto to work. 

She had so much going on in her life right now, she was just barely keeping her head above water and with that said, there was no way she could carry the weight of some one else's problems along with her own. Especially if she could avoid it. 

But he was so cute...

Nova let out a grunt in frustration as she dug in her night stand for her 'in case of emergency' stash. She opened up the case while grabbing her lighter and took a long drag of one of her joints that she had kept solely for moment's like this when she needed to clear her head. 

Right after she took her first hit, her phone pinged. She hit the joint once more and reached for her phone to see who it was. 

It was a text from an unknown number and when she opened it up, it didn't take her long to figure out who it was.

"So about that drink..." It said. 

Nova couldn't help but snort at his choice of words. She didn't know what to do so she decided to not answer back until she did. And she had no clue when that would be. 

Nova didn't know what to do about this whole situation. He was so nice and so sweet to her, and not to mention funny and sexy as hell, but she didn't know if she was the person to deal with the demons in his closet. 

She never had to deal with an alcoholic before and it was a very hard limit for her. 

Growing up, the man who raised Nova as his daughter, was not her biological father. Her real dad passed away from alcohol poisoning when Nova was just a baby. Her mother always said what a nightmare he was to deal with and she had some pretty messed up stories on everything that led up to his passing. Even though her mom was a stronger person now from it, he really hurt her and she had even caught him cheating on her two times with the different woman. 

Her mother always said that she never wanted her or her older brother to have anything to do with that lifestyle and Nova didn't blame her. At the time, it tore her family apart. Because of her mothers struggles, Nova vowed to herself that she would never get herself stuck in a relationship like that and that if she saw any of the warning signs she would back out immediately. 

But she felt such a strong attraction to him...

Now Nova wasn't a goody two shoes by any means. She wasn't against going out and having a few drinks with her friends and getting wasted every now and then. But she was against making it a habit and getting so trashed to the point where it affects others negatively. 

Nova shook her head in aggravation and put out her joint. She needed a 2nd opinion. Or even just a voice of reason. It was time to call in reinforcements...

About an hour, two phone calls, and a large pizza later, Nova was now sitting in the middle of her living room, in between Heather and Violet with her computer perched on her lap. She showed the girls all the dirt that Robin had sent her and they were just as shocked as she was. 

"I just don't understand. Why does shit like this always have to happen to me? Every time I meet someone new who seems like they could be a nice guy, I find out they either have an ulterior motive or they are just a weirdo...Or both!" Nova cried. 

"Well these videos look like they might be older, maybe he's different now" Heather said, trying to sound hopeful. 

"I think you should just write it off as a good working experience and move on. This guy seems like a lush, and he's a celebrity so that fact alone automatically puts on more pressure...Do you really think all of this" Violet said as she dramatically pointed a circle around her laptop. "Is really worth it?"

Nova frowned, not knowing what to say. She really felt like she had a connection with Q but she didn't know if she could handle this side of him. 

"And then you have your career on the line as well. If you guys do end up a thing and he does something to destroy his reputation, sweetie, your's going right down the tubes with his. If you want to keep this dream of doing these kinda photo shoots, I think you need to steer clear of this one and keep things professional" Violet advised.

"She's right, I mean this was your first major photo shoot with a TV network, it could lead to more things, not just with TruTV, another network could pick you up! You don't want to soil things right out of the starting gate, if you guys did become a thing and it ended badly, he would have the power to ruin you if he wanted to" Heather added.

Nova felt her heart sink. That thought didn't even cross her mind. Of course he would attract attention. They had the number one show on TruTV and everyone loved them. If things went sour, it really could affect her career. She still wanted to be their photographer and the motto "Don't mix business with pleasure" crossed her mind. Maybe it was better if she backed off. 

"Ohh shit! That's right! I didn't think about that, ugh! I'm such an idiot!" Nova shrieked, smacking her forehead. Granted she liked Q, but she loved her career more and she couldn't jeopardize that. 

"You're not an idiot...You were just attracted to a cute and funny famous guy, who made you get caught up in the moment and you just needed an intervention to bring you back down to reality" Heather said, rubbing Nova's shoulder. 

"Thank's guys for coming over. I really appreciate it. I just needed someone to talk to about all this before I texted him" Nova said.

"Oh, that's right, are you gonna text him back?" Violet asked. "I don't know...I haven't thought that far yet...Do you think I should?" 

"Well, if you text him back, there's a chance that he's gonna fight you on it and in the end you could potentially turn out to be the bad guy, and if you don't text him back...Well, then he could think you got hit by a bus and just forever remember you fondly" Violet joked. 

"Ohh stop! Don't listen to her! I think you should text him back, it's the right thing to do, be up front and honest with him"Heather pressured, lightly smacking Violet. 

"Ohh yeah, I can see how that would go 'yeah sorry but I can't go on a date with you because I think you are an alcoholic and might fuck up my career', I'm sure that would be totally cool" Nova snickered.

Nova's head felt like it was swelling from all the to do's and what not to do's. "Oh God! I feel like I have the angel and the devil on my shoulders, ugh!" She cried out. 

She then took a deep breath and weighed out her options. "I tell ya what, I'll give it a day or two. If he keeps blowing up my phone, I'll text him to let him know I'm no longer interested. If he doesn't text me anymore, then I'll just take it that I wasn't worth the trouble and leave it at that" Nova stated. 

Her friends seemed happy with her answer and for the next hour or so they each took turns gossiping about their lives. Nova had to get up early in the morning to be at the Outlet so around midnight she kicked them out to get some rest. 

She brushed her teeth and grabbed her phone to put it on charge. She saw that she had another message from Q. She sighed and opened it up to see what he had to say. 

"Is this Nova?" It said. Of course, he probably thought he had the wrong number from her not responding. Nova was too tired to give the subject any more thought so she closed out of it and set the phone on her nightstand. 

She went to bed and and fell asleep pretty quickly, despite everything that was on her mind. A big part of her still wanted to text him back, but she knew that there were other things to consider. 

 

((Stay tuned friends, this isn't the end of Brian and Nova, not by a long shot! ;) ))))


	6. Irony or Just Bad Luck?

Two weeks had passed by since Nova's session with the Impractical Jokers and Nova was as busy as ever. Between working two jobs and trying to find time to edit all the pictures she took from their shoot, along with maintaining her social life, she was swamped. She barely had time to think about Q.

That night was the last time Q tried to reach her. She ended up leaving it at that and not texting him back, but from time to time when she was editing his pictures, staring at his beautiful smile, she still couldn't help but wonder what could have been. To be honest, she had a deep feeling of regret for writing him off but after that eye opening conversation with her friends, she knew it was for the best. At least she thought she knew.

It was now Friday, the end of her work week at the Outlet and she was just finishing up on her last furniture set, working with her assistant Juan. Juan was there to help her move furniture around and to give her an extra set of eyes and opinions when she needed it, though to Nova, he was so much more than just her assistant. He was the gay best friend that every girl wished they had and she loved him dearly.

They met when he applied for a job at the Outlet magazine she worked at. Nova's boss was complaining that she wasn't meeting her dead lines and because of that they were spending a few hundred dollars on extensions. Nova's argument was that if she had help moving all this heavy stuff, she would have an easier time meeting expectations, so they told her to hire whoever she wanted.

After about five or six interviews, Nova found Juan and they had never missed a deadline since. He was a hard worker and had a good eye for detail. Plus he was an over-all blast to work with and very entertaining. He was one of the main reasons why she loved her job so much.

"Hey, me and some friends are gonna head up to Jersey tonight to a new club that opened, wanna be my wing woman?" He asked her, as he moved the last bit of furniture in place.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I'm singing at The Star tonight, otherwise I would love to" Nova replied, adjusting her lights. "Aww bummer...You and I need to really hang out more girl, you need some more Latin spice in your life, you be hanging out with those Gringa's too much, this 9 to 5 shit just ain't cutting it" Juan joked.

"I know I know...You know I love you Juan Juan but I'm just so busy! I'm finally handing over my images that I took from the Impractical Jokers session this week so after that my schedule should free up. They are paying me so much money for those photos, I feel bad that I've had them for this long" Nova complained.

Nova really wanted to get those images back to the network ASAP but what she didn't realize was just how many pictures she shot of them. She was putting her all into every photo and between that and trying to juggle work, she didn't realize exactly how long it was going to take her.

Granted, about five-hundred of the shots were just fun ones she took of the guys and the crew that more than likely wouldn't be used for anything, but they were still images she was proud of and wanted them to have anyway.

"Ohh don't get your panties in a twist, I know girlfriend, but still! We gotta make time. Your work husband is starting to feel neglected" Juan continued.

"Well, you can tell my work husband that I can make some time for him next weekend, if he helps me finish this set in the next hour" Nova sassed back. Juan laughed and continued to push and pull furniture where she needed it and together they walked around, taking close up's and distance shots of all the inventory. They ended up finishing early.

"Great! This will leave me more time to get ready for my first number" Nova cheered as she began to turn all the lights off in the studio and close up. "Pfft, when you gonna get out of that dingy old granny club and go sing somewhere fresh" Juan teased as he took apart the camera.

"When The Haunted Star shuts it's doors and I'm forced to join the public" Nova shot back.

Granted, she didn't love having to sing to make enough money to pay her bills, but she preferred The Haunted Star out of anywhere else. It was easier getting up and singing in front of a semi crowded restaurant full of harmless elderly people who claimed that she reminded them of their grand daughter, than a place that the New York Times would claim is the hottest club in Manhattan.

She was comfortable at The Haunted Star and liked that she was free to perform her two songs a night how ever she wished. She also enjoyed the style of music the place was themed to and that the owner, Mr. Bobby Lucas, was the sweetest man she could ever hope to work for. He was the kind of man that greeted you with a kiss on both cheeks and always seemed to have a cigar attached to his hand.

And she really loved dressing up. The Haunted Star had a dressing room in the back that was full of professional wigs, props, and clothes to help her look like she was part of 50's era. Her favorite part of the whole gig was digging through and creating an outfit.

After saying good bye to Juan, Nova locked the doors of the studio and headed straight to the club. When she arrived, she first made her way over to Mr. Lucas and greeted him with a hug. "There's my little Marilyn" He would always say as he put his cigar down and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey Mr. Lucas, how have you been? I didn't see you last time I was here" Nova said warmly.

"Yeah, I had to be with Carmella, she had hip surgery last week and I couldn't leave her alone, Roberto said that he would take care of things for me" He informed.

"Ohh that's too bad, tell her I hope she feels better, send her my love OK?" Nova said in genuine concern. "Thanks, I will, I will" He said, talking with his hands. "She will appreciate that, you're her favorite performer, she loves you" Bobby boasted proudly.

"Aww she's so sweet, I hope to see her soon when she feels up to it, I'll sing Don't Fence Me in for her the next time she comes in."

"She would love that! You know that's her favorite song you do, she always talks about it" Bobby praised. Nova inch by inch made her way to her dressing room to get ready, pinning Bobby off on one of the other girls that had just arrived. She loved the man dearly, but he sure knew how to talk someone's ear off.

She put her stuff down and dug her make-up bag out of her purse. She then sat down and began the long process of applying her make-up just right. She always caked it on when she worked these things because it helped her become the character she was trying to mimic. Granted it was tasteful but it was still way more make up then she would wear on an average day.

As she sat down and gracefully painted her face in front of her vanity mirror, a face appeared right above her head. "Hey Nova, what's going on?" it said, and then Nova looked up to see none other than Jimmy Pavo staring back at her.

"Hey Jimmy, what's up" Nova said politely, not pausing as she continued to apply her foundation. "Nothing much, I didn't see you come in" He said as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. Nova had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sorry, I came in through the back."

Jimmy Pavo was a guy that Nova had known for a few years since she started at the club. He sang with a cover group that performed hits from Frankie Valle and The Four Seasons called the Manhattan Trio.

The first time he had ever met Nova, he was completely smitten with her and Nova agreed to go on a few dates with him. The had slept together and the sex was decent but Jimmy wasn't really her style and she just didn't feel like they fit together as a couple so she politely broke it off. Jimmy wasn't quite ready to let her go so she agreed to maintain friendship and be each others 'Fuck Buddies' for when they both were single and needed a way to get their rocks off.

Their new relationship worked better than their original one and Nova had a visit from Jimmy three times since she decided to leave things alone with Q. The only problem was how clingy he could be.

"So what songs are you doing tonight?" Jimmy asked, pulling up a stool next to her. "I'm gonna do 'Dream a Little Dream' and 'Be My Baby', what about you?" She asked as she moved on to her bronzer.

"I don't know, we agreed on 'Sherry' for our first set, but Johnny and Cliff are arguing over doing 'Oh What a Night' or 'Big Girls Don't Cry', honestly it doesn't make a difference to me so I left it up to them."

"Well those boys better hurry up and decide, you know how the band hates getting last minute music" Nova said in a low voice, turning her face from side to side in the mirror.

"Yeah yeah, I know...So Nova, tell me...When are you and me gonna do a number together, I think we would really have something good going on stage, Mr.Lucas even said so himself" Jimmy said excitedly.

"We will do a number together the moment when I have time to rehearse."

That was the line that Nova always said whenever Jimmy would ask her that question. The truth was, he was better being around with in small doses or when they were doing something that didn't require much talking....

Granted he was her friend, but after a while he just never seemed to shut up and hearing his voice for long periods of time got under her skin. He never quite knew when to take a hint, or maybe he was just lonely and didn't care if one was being implied.

Jimmy then asked if she would watch him perform and she told him that she still had quite a bit to do to get ready so he finally left her alone to finish.

Nova was in the middle of applying her eye liner when Mr. Lucas politely knocked on her door. Even though it was wide open, he was a gentleman and still knocked when entering a ladies dressing room, which Nova thought was adorable.

"Hey honey, we have a birthday in The Big House tonight, seat two, Can you be a doll and do 'The Hot Canary' for me and go over to that table? Roberto is the one who booked them and says we need to pull out all the stops for these guys, even though they only reserved four seats."

"Yeah sure! Just tell the band to replace it with 'Be My Baby' and I'll do that one first instead."

Nova could never say no to this man, especially when he asked her like that.

The Big House was a private section that was reserved for single parties that would pay 200$ more to rent it out. They would receive a free bottle of champagne and be first priority when it came to servicing. It was closer to the stage and up a level, away from the other patrons that dined. The idea was for it to cater to the more elite members of New York City, but usually it sat well-off older men and their very young girlfriends, along with a few parties every now and then. 

After thanking her multiple times, Mr. Lucas left and Nova heard the dining area begin to fill up with eager diners, ready to see a good show. She finished her make up and after saying hello to a few of her fellow performers, she decided to try and see if she could get a sneak peek at who was dining in the big house tonight.

Mr. Lucas had asked her to perform 'The Hot Canary' because that was the only number that she did a dance to while she sang. She would dress up in a very flattering, yellow and feathery leotard-like outfit that showed off her legs, and flap and shimmy around the stage while singing. She would then pick a guest out of the crowd and single them out, dancing and strutting provocatively around them. It was a cute number.

Now even though everything was kept tasteful, Nova really liked this number because it was fun and it did make her feel sexy, even if she was dancing for old men in suits. The crowd would get excited and she actually felt more comfortable around them because she would never get that creepy vibe. Everyone who dined at The Haunted Star was very classy and respectful, Mr. Lucas wouldn't tolerate it if they were anything but, he was very old school.

Nova made her way to the curtains to see who she would be dancing for tonight. She peeled back the curtain and squinted her eyes through the dim light, scanning through the crowd until her eyes landed on The Big House. She looked in and she could make out four silhouettes that were just beginning to take their seats.

Her eyes hadn't fully adjusted yet so she squinted a little harder to see. She caught sight of one of the men and her eyes popped open in shock. One of the men sure looked like Sal, from the Impractical Jokers. Oddly enough, the guy sitting next to him looked a lot like Joe.

Nova's heart practically stopped when she realized that these men, weren't just look alikes, they were the real deal!

Nova couldn't believe they were here. It didn't take her long to see that Murry and Q were with them as well. Nova shook her head back and forth, unable to help the laughter that was bubbling up from her luck.

Of course they would be here and of course this number would be for them! Nova felt trapped and quitting right there on the spot and walking out the doors crossed her mind but she couldn't do that to Mr. Lucas and she still really needed this job. 

As Nova contemplated her options, she counted the chairs to figure out which one was sitting in seat two...


	7. Elvis Vs. Ella

A few days prior.....

Brian had been feeling a little down about himself lately. He was approaching forty years of age and he though he did not feel forty, he wasn't ready for it. The guys would tease him on how he was the 'older' one out of all of them but deep down, it was getting to him. Granted he had a lot to be proud of with how his career was going but he was just not ready to admit yet that he was 'over the hill'. 

Nova's rejection stung, that was the straw that broke the camels back. He always had a stronger game out of the other Jokers when it came to the ladies and he really thought that they both hit it off at the photo shoot. She was obviously younger than him which added to the blow and his poor judgement made him feel like he was losing his suave in his now 'older' age. He couldn't help but feel that forty was the magic number where girls weren't as attracted to him as they used to be. 

He figured that Nova was just being polite by giving him her number and that she had no intention of ever giving him a shot. It was definitely a first for Q, usually he found out there was no chemistry after he wined and dined who ever he was pursuing but this Nova girl must have smelled it a mile away. 

Perhaps, the reason why it was affecting him like this is because so many girls were willing to throw themselves at him, drawn in by his fame and fortune, that he didn't know what to make of being blacklisted. 

It made him feel foolish for being so forceful on taking her home. She probably thought he was a creep and was just too polite to voice her opinion. Thinking like this made him feel like one. 

His birthday was this week and as much as he just wanted to sit around and pretend like it wasn't happening, the Jokers just weren't accepting it. They wanted to take him out to celebrate, knowing that if they didn't he would just sit around and sulk all day. 

"Come on! We have to do something to celebrate! We could always go to that bar off of 102nd street that you like" Murr said as they wrapped up their day filming in the park. 

"Ehh...People always come up to us there there...I don't know if I'll be in the mood to stop every five seconds to take photos and sign napkins" Brian grumbled. "Why can't you guys just leave me alone on this one?"

"Because we are your friends and you know that's not how we do things, this is a big mile marker for you and we are not letting you off the hook that easily" Sal said forcefully. 

"Well since it's my birthday, shouldn't it be up to me to decide what I want to do?" Brian asked in annoyance. The guys paused what they were doing for a moment and looked at each other. In unison, they all said "No", causing Q to roll his eyes and sigh. 

"I tell ya what, Bessy's uncle just went to this place in the city that he was raving about. It's called The Haunted Star I think? He said that not too many people know about it and it's mostly old folks that go there. I think they do performances to older songs and it's kinda low key...I could call them up and find out more information on it... We probably won't be recognized there, what do you say?" Joe asked. 

"Wow, that sound's cool...Is it like a dinner theater?" Murr asked, sounding interested. "Yeah I guess so, her uncle seemed to enjoy it. He said they did some Frank Sinatra and Elvis songs" Joe said, eyeing Q. Everyone knew that Q had a big thing for Elvis so Joe was hoping that would be the clincher to get him to agree to go. 

Everyone knew that Q was a huge Elvis fan.

"No shit, they do Elvis songs there?" Q asked, picking his head up. Sal couldn't help but smirk as he caught onto Joe's plan. "Yeah, Bess's uncle said the guy even dresses up like him, said he was one of the better impersonators he's ever seen" Joe said, talking the place up. 

"Hmm...Wow, I guess that's kinda cool" Q said as he thought it over. Joe stayed quiet and continued wrapping up cords from their film session, letting the idea soak into Q's head for a while. He was hoping Elvis would be enough to pull his friend out of his funk and go out and enjoy his birthday. 

After a few minutes, Q sighed and said "Well, I guess there is no harm in calling and finding out more details on this place."

Joe, Sal, and Murry all smiled at each other in victory and Joe casually said "OK, cool, I'll give them a call in a bit and see what they have to say."

"Yeah, ask and see if you can get like a more private table or something, I think I just want to be able to go out for a night and not have to worry about making time for a photo opp and being everyone's source of entertainment for the night" Q said, finally agreeing to something. "Sure, no problem" Joe said as he punched the place in his phone. 

Even though they had a large fan base that they truly loved, Joe respected Q's feelings on having a night out with his buddies where he didn't have to cater to fans. As much as everyone wanted to take him to a bar or a strip club, it would be nice to break away from their norm and and just be themselves for a night with no interference, and be on the other end of a good performance. 

After they were done packing up, Joe pulled away to give The Haunted Star a call. He dialed the number he found and waited a moment as the phone rang. When someone answered, Joe began to inquire what the place was all about. 

"Hi, I am calling to see if there is a reservation I can make for Friday...It's my buddies birthday and we all want to take him out. Someone told me that you guys do Elvis performances?" Joe started. 

"Yeah we do a variety of songs throughout the night from the 50's and the jazz age, it's all older style music from the bigger artists from those time periods. We do have a guy who comes and does a couple Elvis songs, he should be performing Friday night along with a few others."

"Ohh Great! Awesome! He will love that, by any chance, do you guys have like...Well, I guess more private seating? I know that probably sounds like a weird question" Joe said, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Yeah sure, we actually have a section called The Big House, it's sectioned off from other patrons, we rent it out for 200$ a night and it is usually for bigger parties" The man on the other line explained. "How many did you say you had in your party?"

"Oh...Uhh just four, but I don't mind paying for that section if it's private enough" Joe replied. The man assured it was and Joe decided to just go ahead and book it. As the man was taking Joe's information, he asked "So you said it's your friend's birthday?"

"Yeah, poor guy is turning forty and he just wants something low key" Joe said casually. 

"Ohh, well we will have a special performer there that night, She is one of our more established entertainers and we could have her do a special song for your friend."

Joe cocked an eyebrow. "Ohh really" he said, sounding intrigued. 

As much as he knew Q would kill him, Joe couldn't resist. He knew his friend just wanted a night where the attention wasn't on them, but this was Joe Gatto we were talking about! Any chance he had to prank his friend with out him suspecting anything, he couldn't resist the opportunity. And besides, it could be considered as pay back for an awful challenge he had to do this week that was all Q's idea. 

It was harmless and he knew Q would have fun regardless so he figured to hell with it. 

"Go ahead and sign us up for that song" Joe said, cracking a mischievous smile. The Haunted Star employee put the reservation in and asked for Joe's name. When Joe gave it to him, he paused for a moment and Joe couldn't help but think "Oh here we go" but the man simply continued with the transaction and booked his reservation. After giving Joe a low down of the dress code and what kind of meal they would be expecting, he thanked him and told him they looked forward to seating them on Friday.

It was done, whether Q liked his little surprise or not, they were all set and ready to dine at The Haunted Star. Joe would let the guys in on it later when Q wasn't around. 

******************************************

Sure enough, Friday night came and there they were, outside the doors of theater, waiting to be let in. Q's mood on celebrating had drastically improved as he began to look forward to watching an Elvis performance. There were a few other customers outside with them and so far, not one came up to them wanting a picture or an autograph, which made everyone feel more at ease. 

As Q took a look around, he noticed it was mostly older people in what looked like their finest dress clothes. Joe told them all to dress up, but Q's version of dressing up was a black suit jacket over a T-shirt with black jeans and boots, along with his typical page boy hat. He took a look around and wished that he would have went with something a little fancier. He could feel the dirty looks from an older couple that stood a few feet away from them, though he chose to ignore it. 

The guys continued to talk amongst themselves until the doors opened, and then everyone shuffled inside. 

Q took one look around, pretty impressed with the place. The lighting was quite dim, which made him happy and the theater was very beautiful. All the walls were decorated with older paintings of movie stars and singers who were no longer alive, bordered with hand carved frames and when you looked up, the ceiling looked like the night sky. He didn't understand how he never heard of this place before. 

"Wow Gatto, I gotta say, you did good" Q complimented Joe as he continued to take the place in. 

Before Joe could answer, Murr exclaimed "Wow! Look at all the detail on the stage, that's so cool!"

The Haunted Star was beautiful. The guys got the vibe that it was one of the best kept secrets of Manhattan and they were already talking about plans of coming back.

"Wow, Bessy would love this" Joe said as they took their seats. Right away they were served a glass of water and champagne, as promised and a waiter came by and dropped off a big basket of rolls, which the guys dug into right away. 

Meanwhile, Nova was back stage having a cow...

Dinner was served and the guys enjoyed their food as they continued to look around, studying all the details in the theater and making light conversation. The food was amazing and Q began to feel himself relax. Not one person had came up to them or even so much as pointed their direction. 

"How are you still hungry?!" Sal squealed as he watched Joe devour another re-order of rolls after they already ate their main course. "I'm Italian! I live for food!" Joe said with a full mouth, making Sal turn away in disgust and Q and Murr laugh at his expense. 

Just then, the lights went dark and spotlights flashed around them, signifying that the show was about to start. They heard drums rumbling as the curtains drew back, opening up to a band on the side of the stage that started to play a medley of 50's tunes. The guys tapped their feet to the music and clapped and cheered when they were done. Then the real performances started. 

They introduced the Manhattan Trio, who did a killer performance of 'Sherry' and 'Oh What a Night' from Frankie Valle and The Four Seasons. That was Joe's favorite and it made him wish again that Bessy was there to see it. He knew that he was going to have to bring her back here some day, she would be jealous when she heard of the good time they all were having. 

Then Q's favorite, Elvis took the stage. Q was head over heels excited to see The King, and very impressed with the person who was portraying him. He was on the edge of his seat the whole time as he did covers of 'Hound Dog' and 'All Shook Up'. Brian couldn't resist standing up and cheering when he was done performing. He knew that he would be back again to see him in the future. 

A few more performers took the stage, but nothing could have prepared them for the next performer that was in the line up...

Nova's number was up next and she was trying to keep her composure. She had already had her initial heart attack after seeing exactly who she was going to be performing for and she did something that he had never done before a performance, she had a drink. 

She was better now that she had a little bit of time to get a grip on herself but she always felt jitters before taking the stage, and this was making it even worse. She was sure they would recognize her. Even with the wig, the make up, and the feathery costume, her luck just wasn't that good.

...Obviously....

They would recognize her and then they would know that their promotional photographer had to dress up and dance around like some circus clown just to make ends meet. She figured Q would look at her and be thankful that he dodged that bullet, knowing that he could find someone better and more in his class. 

The theater grew quiet and all the sudden Mr. Lucas took the mike and introduced her number. "Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for Miss Ella Fitzgerald in The Hot Canary!" Mr. Lucas roared, giving her a dramatic introduction. She heard the audience clap in anticipation for her and then the place went quiet. 

Nova took a deep breath to ease her nerves on the side of the stage and when she felt like she was ready enough, she gave a little nod to the band to cue the music. She turned on her ear mike and decided It was now or never. 

Meanwhile, the guys were sitting at the table, quietly whispering about the last song. Once the music started, they all glanced at the stage, stopping in mid conversation and then turning their full focus when they saw a beautiful pair of legs come strutting out from stage right, moving to a provocative, sultry, Jazz rhythm. 

It felt like someone injected her with liquid adrenaline as Nova had her back to the audience, sashaying out to the middle of the floor. She heard a few cat calls behind her which wasn't unusual for this number, as she stopped and continued to wiggle her hips from side to side. The music quieted and she turned around, now facing the audience, dropping her yellow feather boa to the floor and beginning her song. 

"Peep peep! Birdie words are necessary,

Peep peep! Even to a hott canary

Peep Peep This is my vocabulary

Just- Peep Peeeeep" 

She sang and side-stepped back and forth while making cute facial expressions. She could tell she already had the crowds attention as she looked all around seeing how everyone's eyes were glued to her, especially the Jokers. She felt an odd confidence that she didn't have before blossom inside her as she continued to sing and dance her heart out. 

Nova's body flowed in her dance, speaking volumes even without the words she was singing. Her personality in the song burst through the most graceful and beautiful picture of her soul as she smiled and paraded around like an adorable little canary in flight. 

She sang and danced like a well-oiled machine, moving her limbs in a perfect flowy rhythm to the sharp violin and horn sounds the band was creating. As she did a turn, she caught Q's stare from the shadows of The Big House. He dropped his gaze momentarily before making eye contact with her, tilting his head to one side as a hopeful and realizing smile played on his lips. It was at that moment when she knew that he recognized who she really was. 

Nova thrust her nerves to the back of her mind, letting the music take over and carry her to a different world, or in this case, decade. She had to if she was going to get through this performance. Her movements flowed with a dazzling grace that took away the breath of every single person in the audience and her voice brought the full flavor of the song out. 

"If I could talk like people talk

I'd tell you things you've never heard

Yet the way that people talk,

I'm very glad that I'm a bird" 

As she moved, her feathers shed out of her costume, spinning around her and littering the stage like her own brand of confetti. The feather's on her head piece and on the arms of her costume helped her resemble a beautiful little bird as she peeped her way across the floor. 

The music picked up and Nova pranced down the stairs of the stage, cat walking her way up to The Big House where Q and the rest of the Jokers sat. Brian felt his heart rate pick up, but not because he was being put on blast for the whole audience to observe, but because this beautiful creature was making her way over to him, closer and closer. 

She now stood in front of him, signalling him to pull out his chair, which he couldn't have done fast enough. She grabbed the arm rests of the chair, trapping him in as she leaned in closer to him, singing the next verse. She dipped her body into his dramatically with the beat of the music and then face backwards, still holding herself up on the arm rests and sat on his lap after doing a few kicks. 

Brian's eyes were wide with a lust that he was trying to mask, in fear that his best friends and the strangers that surrounded them would pick up on it. He tried to crack a smile to show face, but he could only focus on the way this girl was moving for him. For the first time in years, he felt that if he opened his mouth, nothing witty or comical would come out...

Nova stood up from Q's lap and circled him, still in song letting her hand linger on his chest and travel to his shoulders. Giving him one final squeeze, she left him sitting there and walked around the rest of the table, letting her hand travel from Joker to Joker, before she returned to the stage and finished out her performance. 

The crowd went wild in applause, more than Q or any of the other guys would think an audience full of mostly elderly couples could get, but Brian heard none of it. Even with the guys all hooting and hollering around him, all he could focus on was Nova who walked over to pick up her boa and do a final bow with a show stopping smile. She made eyes at him once more before exiting the stage. 

Q was finally broken out of his trance when Joe clapped a rough hand on his back, yelling out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN!" 

Instantly he was brought back down to reality as he did a delayed clap. He looked around at all the guys and their faces were red from them laughing so hard at him. "You should'a seen your face! You should'a seen it!" They all boasted in laughter. It took a second for Q to be able to think again, but when he did, he quickly put the pieces together. 

"Wait a second...That was you guy's idea?" He questioned, looking around at all of them. Their eruption of laughter answered his question. "Ohh you dirty bastards" Q said jokingly to his friends. They continued to laugh at him, unable to compose themselves. 

Mr. Lucas came on the mike and announced that they were going to have a twenty minute intermission. "So was that girl being Nova part of the plan too?" Q asked angrily.

"Who?" Sal asked, not sure if he heard him correctly. "Nova! The picture girl! The one who rejected me?" Q yelled over the background music that was now playing. 

"WHAT!? THAT WAS NOVA?!" Joe screamed, clapping his hands together in hysterics. Sal was on his way down to the floor, collapsing into Murr who held his hands over his mouth in surprise as they all cackled like hyenas. Granted, it was not planned that Nova was going to be the girl on stage, but in the world of pranking and immature men, it couldn't have worked out better that way. 

Q rolled his eyes and put his face in his hands, fighting the smile that spread on his face. He had to had to hand it to his friends, they sure got him, and he couldn't believe the irony of it all. Neither could they...

Meanwhile Nova was back behind stage being congratulated by her coworkers on her stellar performance. She smiled and pushed her way through the crowd that watched her perform on the sides of the stage and made her way to her dressing room. 

Jimmy came over and placed a kiss on her cheek, but she brushed it off, needing to get a grip on her nerves and pull herself together.

She had to go over any at least say hello to them, that much she knew for sure. She wasn't sure if any of the other guys recognized her but the look on Q's face told her that he definitely did, which automatically gave her the obligation. She took a moment to compose herself in her dressing room.

Taking a deep and shaky breath, she opened her door and walked out to the dining area to go find the Jokers...


	8. Dream a Little Dream

It took Nova a while to get through the crowd as everyone shifted out into the lobby during the intermission. People kept coming up to her and telling her how much they loved her performance and she didn't have it in her to brush them off and keep walking so she would talk for a minute or two and then wish them a good night. 

There wasn't as many people in the dining area now so once she made it through the doors, she was able to get to the Joker's table in a straight shot.

As she walked up, she saw them talking among themselves and Joe was the first one to notice her. "SUPER NOVA!" He yelled as he got up to run and wrap his arms around her. He grabbed her so hard that she stumbled back on her feet. "Hey guys! How are you?" She asked as she reciprocated the hug, looking at the remaining Jokers over Joe's shoulder. 

"Good good! Look at you! You're gorgeous! Loved your performance, I didn't know you did all this!" Sal said sweetly as he walked over and gave her a much more gentler hug than Joe did. "Thank you! Yeah, I work here every other weekend, the owner is really cool, he lets me pretty much sing what ever I want, as long as it's nothing new" Nova explained as she blew a feather from her head piece out of her face. 

Q was the only one who hadn't gotten up to greet her, but he still looked at her with interest as she talked. It made Nova feel a little better knowing that this was just as awkward for him as it was for her. 

"Wow that's awesome, we are really loving the show so far, everyone has been great" Murry said, warmly shaking her hand. "Yeah, Mr. Q over here especially liked your dance, didn't you Q?" Joe joked, trying to ease some of the tension that he was picking up from between Nova and Q. 

"Oh that's right! Happy birthday Q!" Nova said, giving Q a friendly smile. He returned her smile and said "Ohh thanks...Yeah...Gotta love Elvis, you looked great too by the way."

He internally cringed at his own words, realizing how much of a jerk he must have sounded like. 

The guys stood behind Nova, looking at Q as if he were a moron and Nova just politely smiled and thanked him, not sure of what else to say. "Hey, uhh...I think they mentioned something about hor d'oeuvres out by the bar, we should go check it out" Joe said, specifically to Murr and Sal, giving them a wink and hoping they would catch on. 

Sal did, but Murr was a little more dense. "That's cool, you guys go ahead, I wanna talk to Nova more about those pictures..." He said as he went to go back to his seat. He took two steps and Joe pulled him back by his arm, dragging him along with Sal, muttering something in Italian. Before Sal walked away, he looked at Q from behind Nova's back and mouthed "Talk to her."

Once the guys were gone, Q stood up abruptly, looking and feeling as nervous as if this were a challenge. It might as well have been. 

"So that's cool, you take pictures, you sing, dance...What else can you do?" He asked her, trying to initiate a conversation. Nova played along. 

"Well, I make a mean cup of coffee in the morning, but other than that, well, that's about all I'm good for" She shrugged. Q chuckled at her response. "So, any other birthday plans?" She asked him. 

"Ohh, nah. I think this is it. What more could a guy ask for than to be around his friends, see some great entertainment....Have a pretty girl dance in his lap....Yup, this is all the birthday I need" He joked. 

Nova laughed and it made him feel less awkward. "Yeah, sorry about that. I had no clue you guys were gonna be here tonight, I hope I didn't embarrass ya too much" She replied. 

"Ohh it's OK, I'm used to being embarrassed....Wait...No...Sorry, that sounded bad...Ahh" Q backtracked, mentally slapping himself, not wanting her to think that he thought of her as embarrassing. Nova tried to stifle back a laugh at his way with words. 

"I guess I'm just bad at this...The truth is, Nova...I haven't been able to wrap my head around why you never texted me back..." Q said, diving right into what he wanted to talk to her about. 

Nova wasn't quite expecting that. Now it was her turn to choke up on her words. 

"Ohh...Yeah...I'm sorry about that. I just got busy editing the pictures and I guess it just got away from me" She lied. It was easier than her telling him she was scared. 

Q turned his head so the side, eyeing her like he wasn't buying it. "OK OK" He said holding his hands up. "I'll give you that...How about this, what are you doing when you get off here tonight?"

Nova searched her brain and couldn't think of anything else to say but "Nothing."

"How about I meet you after you're done... WWe can go grab a coffee or whatever you want to do, and you let me prove to you that there is nothing to be afraid of, wha'do ya say?"

Nova blinked at his request. It was like he was reading her mind. She began to try to console him on how she really was busy but he cut her off. "No no, it's OK, you don't have to do that. I know there was something that spooked you about me and that's why I didn't hear from you." 

Brian paused for a second. 

"Just, give me a chance to prove you wrong. That's all I'm asking. If you get to know me and then still think I'm a shmuck, then fine, I'll respect that and go about my business, No hard feelings...All I'm asking is for a shot..." he pleaded. 

Nova looked into his sweet brown eyes and his words started to make sense. She felt the pull towards him reignite, sending sparks flying throughout her body. There was no way she could say no, especially to that face. 

"I don't think you're a shmuck" She said, rolling her eyes with a smile. She felt bad that her lack of response effected him more than she thought it would. It made her feel like the 'shmucky' one out of the two of them. She honestly thought that after the second text he would just move on and never give her any thought again. This was a bit of a surprise.

Granted she had her worries and concerns, but maybe, just maybe he was a different person now than he was from all the dirt that Robin exposed her to. She suddenly felt silly for being so quick to write him off without giving him a proper chance. It wasn't fair to Brian and it wasn't fair to her. 

Besides, what is life with out taking a few chances every now and then...

Her hesitation began to worry Brian that she was gonna tell him to fuck off, so he continued to persuade her. "Come on, don't make me pull out the 'It's my birthday' card" he said jokingly. 

A smile slowly spread on Nova's face and she leaned in to tell him "Show's over by 9...Meet me out in the lobby at 9:30." 

She pulled away and locked eyes with him, giving him a reassuring smile and patting the top of his hand. Brian felt a wave of relief wash over him as he beamed with happiness that she agreed to meet him. "You won't regret this, I promise...Thank you."

He was hoping that he didn't sound as desperate as he felt he did but he didn't let it bother him because it worked and she said yes!

Nova winked at him and looked over at the clock. They were getting ready to start back up soon and she had to get ready for her next number. She was the one who was closing the show tonight so she still had a little time to get back there. 

"I gotta go get ready for my next song, but uh...I hope you enjoy the rest of the show and I'll see you later" She said, assuring him again that she would meet him. 

Brian said goodbye and watched her walk off. He couldn't believe that just really happened. He definitely had to hand it to the guys, if they hadn't urged him to go out in the first place, he would have never gotten another chance with Nova. 

Joe, Sal, and Murry returned and they all stopped and looked at Q before they sat down. Q looked at them grimly, faking another rejection and then gave them a thumbs up. "Yeah! Look at Q! Back in the game!" Sal teased as he gave his friend a high five. 

Joe wanted to know how it went so Q gave him the low down and he was happy that she decided to give Brian another whirl. He liked Nova and had a good feeling that she would be a good match for Q. All of them definitely didn't mind the idea of seeing her around more often. 

"So she told me to hang out and meet her in the lobby around 9:30, after the show" Q explained. "Sweet, where are we going?" Murry asked innocently. Joe snickered as Sal hit him upside the head. "You dope, we are going home, he will never have a shot with this girl if she has to stare at your ugly mug the whole time" Sal spat. 

Just then, the lights began to dim and the show started up again. This time Brian was unable to fully focus on the performances that took the stage. They sounded good, but his (dare he say it) date with Nova afterwards was fresh on his brain and he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the night would bring. He had to admit, this was starting to shape up to be an awesome birthday, definitely one of the best he has had in a while. 

9:00 was approaching and Q and the rest of the guys straightened up in their seats as Mr. Lucas announced the final performance of the night. Shortly after, Nova walked out on the stage wearing a beautiful sparkling gown that looked like something belonged to Vanna White. Q and the others cheered for her and then the light sounds piano keys began to surround them. 

She made eye eye contact with Q and the Joker's and they all gave her a reassuring smile, eager to hear her sing again. Nova grabbed the mike and put it on the stand, keeping one hand on it to steady herself as she began to softly sing.

"Star shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper I love you

Birds singing in the Sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me..."

Her voice was smokey yet modulated. It was beautiful and she definitely chose the right songs to sing for her brand. She actually gave Q goosebumps that he was now feeling down his arms. She kept stealing glances his way and batting her eyes, almost like she was speaking some hidden language in her song that only he had the translation for.

The lyrics rolled off her lips as if she had known the words her whole life. The audience sat, mystified and content, mouthing the words as she sang a song that they all knew so well. Q looked around the room and saw little old couples leaning into one another in awe, as if her song brought them back to their younger years. 

"Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams, whatever they be..."

Nova paused for a moment as the light twinkling keys of the piano took over the next verse, signifying that her song was coming to an end, as well was the night. She looked at Q again and unable to contain her smile, she sang the last line, "Dream a little dream of me", carrying out her tune and then letting the piano finish her off. 

"Sweet dreams ladies and gentleman" She said gently into the mike and then the piano continued to wrap up the song as she gracefully walked off stage, giving one last wave to the crowd and blowing them a kiss.


	9. Pineapple Pizza Girl

Brian anxiously waited out in the lobby for Nova to come out. They guys had already taken off, wishing him luck and pretty much everyone cleared out and went home, except for a few employees that were still at the bar. He sat on a plush chair in the corner of the room, casually scrolling through emails on his phone to pass the time. 

"I'm sorry sir, we are closing soon, I'm going to have to ask you to leave" He heard a voice say in front of him. He picked his head up and smirked to see that it was Nova. "I'm sorry miss, I just can't do that. You see I'm waiting for someone" He said playing along. "Oh really? Well I hate to tell you but everyone has gone home, there's no one here" Nova teased. 

"You sure?" Q cocked an eye brow and looked around. "The person I'm waiting for, I mean you can't miss her...She's about yay high, covered in feathers and glitter, she kinda resembles Big Bird, but much much prettier...." Q joked, continuing to look around. Nova cracked up laughing. 

"She sounds...Eccentric..." She said, rolling her eyes. "Well the truth is, I don't really know if she is or not. But I hope she will give me the chance to find out" Q said, giving her a smile that she was really starting to adore. 

Snapping back to reality and lightly shaking her head, Nova asked "Well aren't you sweet...So where did you want to go?"

"Well I know you just got off, are you hungry? There's a good pizza joint just a couple blocks from here that I know of" He answered, standing up. Q was always up for pizza, even though he just ate a three course meal. Originally he had planned to take her to a coffee shop, but he would feel bad if her stomach was growling the whole time they were getting to know each other. Luckily they were in the city that never sleeps so they had options. 

"Actually pizza sounds really good, I don't normally eat when I'm here, it never sits well with my nerves" She said happily. "OK then, pizza it is" Q said, leading the way out the doors. 

As they walked the two blocks to the pizzeria, Q began to compliment her on her voice and her last performance. "You should'a seen the way some of those old couples were looking at you, it was so adorable, it was like watching my parents on their first date" he gushed. "Yeah, I love the clientele we get at that place, everyone is always so nice and very respectful, it makes it much easier to get up there and...You know, do what I do."

"Wait, so you still get nervous every time you perform?" Q asked, looking over at her. Nova frowned and nodded her head. "Yeah...As much as I love to sing, it's still pretty nerve wracking for me to get up there. I'm weird about having all the attention on me and performing in front of big crowds. I always have to take a bunch of deep breath's whenever I'm about to get on stage, I always get through it but it's always a fight with myself to take that first step" Nova explained. 

"Huh, wow, well you could'a fooled me....And that is coming from someone who has been show business for years. You were really something tonight" Q said, trying to make her feel better. 

"Thanks, I appreciate you saying that. Do you ever get nervous before you do a comedy show?" Nova asked. She had done enough research on him to know how extensive his comedy career was. 

"You know I used to, but I have gotten so comfortable being uncomfortable, after all the horrible challenges and punishments I've had to do on the show, I'm pretty much immune to stage fright." Q explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I've seem some clips of your show on YouTube, I honestly don't know how you guys do it, I would probably either cry or throw up if I had to do any of that stuff."

"Oh trust me, sometimes I still want to, it's not easy but somehow you just kinda push through it and just keep telling yourself it will all be over soon." 

"Yeah, I guess you can say that's how I get through my performances. I do like to sing, but when you put my stage fright into the mix, Well I just find it much more appealing to be behind my camera than in front of an audience." Nova said. 

Q smiled at her words, remembering how much of a natural she was with photography during his photo shoot. 

They arrived at the pizza place and as Q looked in the counter to see what pizza looked good to him, Nova went right to the register and ordered. "I'll take two slices of pineapple please" She asked the guy behind the counter. "Ohh OK...I see, you're one of those people huh?" Brian said with a smirk. 

Nova turned around and looked at him. "I'm sorry?" She said, not seeing the problem. Q couldn't help but chuckle. "I can already see this is going to be a problem, you are part of the other half of the population that thinks it's socially acceptable to order pineapple on pizza, ugh!" Q joked with fake disgust. 

Nova eyed and him and put her hands on her hips. "Have you even tried it before?" She asked with an attitude. "No, and I never will. Fruit doesn't belong on pizza...It's suppose to be unhealthy, you people are just trying to make it something it's not" Q stood by his point. 

She narrowed her eyes at him and smirked. "Excuse me sir, can you please make that three" She said, not breaking eye contact with Brian. "Wait, what?" Brian snapped. "Never say never, today's the day, hasn't anyone ever told you don't knock it before you try it?" Nova sassed back.

"Yeah but I'm pretty sure this is one of those exceptions to the rule, that's just such a weird combination. I really don't think it's for me. Just like sushi."

"What? You don't like sushi?" Nova exclaimed. 

"Nope, there is no way I'm shoving raw fish down my throat, that is one line I won't cross. We have come far enough in the evolution chain where we don't have to eat raw sea creatures to survive and yet, some people still do. The smell alone is enough to get me" Brian said as he faked a gag. 

"Well this is different than sushi....I'll bet you 5 bucks that you will like it...If you like pineapple, you will like it on pizza" Nova stated. "Ohh OK fine, I'll try it. But be warned, when it ends up in the trash you will only have yourself to blame" He joked. Nova rolled her eyes and took a seat at a nearby table to wait for their food. 

Q joined her and the continued to talk and get to know each other as they waited. "So, how did you get into a place like The Haunted Star?" Brian asked as he took a sip of his Coke. "Oh well the owner, Mr. Lucas, he posted an add in the flyer that he was looking for singers who could do older songs and I was strapped for cash at the time so I stopped in and the rest is history. He's a wonderful man to work for and everyone at the club just loves him."

"Wow, that's neat, yeah I can honestly say I have never been to a place quite like that before. It was Joe's idea to go and I was a little skeptical at first, but I gotta say, I'm happy I tried it out."

Nova grinned at him. "Yeah...That place is kinda like an old pair of Chuck Taylor's....A little worn around the edges, but a classic that will never go out of style and only appreciated by the people with a unique style."

Brian cracked up laughing, mid sip of his drink. "Did you just compare The Haunted Star to a pair of old shoes?" He asked, finding her metaphor very amusing. 

"Yup, I sure did" Nova said confidently. Before they could say another word, their pizza arrived. After the waiter dropped it off, Brian sat there looking down at is as if it were going to jump up and bite him. 

"Ugh! I can't believe you are making me do this" He said as he picked up his slice and started to inspect it. "Ohh come on! Live a little, look what happened the last time you tried something you thought you wouldn't like" Nova said, referencing how he was leery on going to The Star. 

Brian eyed her with a half smile as he slowly leaned forward and took a bite. Nova watching him in contempt as he chewed and swallowed. She took notice to how he made no faces or gag sounds. 

"Well?" She asked, eager to hear what he thought. Brian looked at her and slowly tilted his head from side to side as if he were giving it thought. "Wow...It's actually not bad" He said sheepishly. 

"HA! See! I told you so! Welcome to the dark side my friend" Nova said jokingly. "Alright alright, you got me. Pineapple on pizza isn't so bad. It may not be my favorite topping buuut, I give it a solid eight outta ten" He said honestly. 

Nova couldn't help but smile. "Well your welcome" She said as if she did him a favor. Brian smiled at her and couldn't help but think how cute she was. They continued to chat as they finished their pizza. 

Nova learned that Brian was born and raised in Staten Island. Unlike Nova and her hometown, he had always been very fond of New York and would never leave, but he really liked visiting New Orleans because he was fond of the culture. He had quite the obsession with Wu-Tang Clan and his parents lived about two hours upstate, which he would visit whenever he could break away from his busy schedule. He told her how comedy was his crutch in life and got him through some hard times, such as his wife leaving him and the time when he battled depression. 

He had 3 cats that he adored named Benjamin, Chessie, and Brooklyn, which Nova thought was sweet. He told her a little bit about what it was like to work in the fire department and also what it was like being on tour and doing the show. To Nova, his life sounded like a big adventure. 

In turn, Brian learned that Nova hated spicy food and actually took a photography class in high school but failed because her teacher wasn't very encouraging. She only liked music from the 90's and everything before, her favorite artists being Elton John, The Beatles, and Alanis Morissette. Unlike Brian, she was always very shy and introverted growing up and being around a lot of people made her nervous but getting into photography helped her break away from that, pushing her to talk to people to get them to let her take their picture.

Her parents still lived in Florida with her dog Izzy that she had to leave with them, and she missed them all dearly. She also had an older brother that she didn't quite see eye to eye with, but loved him regardless. She told him a little bit about her best friends, Violet, Heather, and Robin and how she met each one of them her first year in New York. To Brian, Nova's life sounded like a story that he couldn't put down. 

Eventually, the pizzeria had to close up shop and they were asked nicely to leave, so now they stood out front, finishing up their night. Nova was going to walk home, but Brian insisted on driving her because of how late it was so she happily climbed in the front seat of his Jeep. 

"Thank you for the pizza" Nova said as she flashed him a smile. "Well thank you for introducing me to the dark world of pineapple pizza and helping me realize that the people who like it might not be as crazy as I thought" Brian said with a wink. 

"Ohh we are, we are just better at hiding it than most" Nova said, returning the wink. Brian smiled and put the car in gear, pulling out of the parking lot. After an awkward silence, Q finally opened up the tension, saying "So...Not to pressure or anything but...Maybe we can do this again sometime...Maybe sometime soon?"

Nova looked at him and then momentarily dropped her gaze. The way he asked her gave her butterflies. "I think we can work something out" She said. Brian's smile grew wider. He paused for a moment and said "Gee, I sure hope so. I would hate to have to forever remember you as pineapple pizza girl." Brian joked. 

Nova busted out laughing and she unintentionally made Brian laugh too at how hard she was laughing at him. "I think you are one of the funniest people I have ever met!" She said as she tried to compose herself. "Thank you...I guess it's nice to know I'm good for something" he said, throwing a glance her way. 

Nova smiled and changed her tone. "I like you Brian Quinn...I'm really sorry I ignored you before...I think I was just afraid that it all would have been too much for me but now that I know you more, I feel so silly for even thinking that way in the first place. I'm happy you decided to spend your birthday at The Star tonight."

Brian had to take a second to breathe from her words. He had never had a girl be so raw and honest with him before. Usually he had to play the guessing game with the girls that he was interested in which would usually end with him feeling over it and moving on. Granted she was closed off in the beginning but he was starting to really like the colors she was showing. It was nice to know that she was on the same page as him and he had a really good feeling about her. 

"Well for what it's worth, I like you too, Nova Brady. Thank you for deciding to spend the rest of my birthday with an old guy like me." Brian said sincerely. 

Nova nodded her head and reached over, squeezing his hand, letting her actions be her words. They stayed in a content warm silence until they pulled up to her building. 

"Well, I guess this is it" Nova said as she looked up to her floor. "Here, I'll walk you up" Q said, undoing his seat belt and getting out of the car. Nova reached in the back for her purse and by the time she grabbed it and released her seat belt, Q was already on her side, opening up her door. 

"Oooh, a gentleman I see" She said, admiring his manners. "Who said us city boys don't know how to treat a woman" Q joked, gently taking her hand as she stepped out of his car. It made Nova feel like a princess.

Together they walked up to the front entrance of her building and when they got there, Nova turned around to face him. "Well I guess this is it...Thanks for the ride" Nova said. "My pleasure, there was no way I was gonna let you walk home this late...There's a lot of weirdo's in the city, if you haven't already noticed."

Nova smiled and dropped her gaze, shifting back and forth on her feet. "Did you wanna come up for a bit?" She asked, trying to be polite while at the same time, not wanting the night to end just yet. Q looked at her as if he was having an internal battle with himself. It took him a moment to answer.

"As much as I would love to...And I would really love to, I just can't do that...Not tonight" he said respectively. 

Nova's smile grew wider and she turned away in a blush. She thought that she would be disappointed but his words made her realize that that was the best response he could have given her. It gave her more respect for him and it made her really want to see him again. It was probably the first time a guy told her no when she invited them up and it couldn't have been any sweeter. 

Nova turned back and looked at Q, who was now looking at her as if he was afraid that she would be offended. If only he knew that couldn't be farther from what was really going on in her mind. 

They continued to exchange a look back and forth, as if they were having a conversation that didn't require words. Finally Nova said "OK, well I hope to see you soon then. Don't worry, I promise I won't ghost you again."

Now it was Q's turn to smile big. He was thrilled that she didn't take offense to his soft rejection because he didn't want to ruin the way things were going between them by giving her the impression that that was all he wanted from her. He had a good feeling about where this was going and didn't want to screw things up with her being so flighty before.

"We will, as long as your in, we will. Thank you for everything tonight. It was really great getting to know you Nova, thank you for letting me in" he said, looking into her eyes. 

He reached out and just ran the tips of his fingers over her arm. It was enough to put a trillion butterflies in Nova's stomach as they both stood there, looking like they were holding back from one another. Nova's smile beamed at him and it made Q excited for the day when it would be the right time to accompany her upstairs. It would definitely be worth the wait. 

"Good night Q, I'll see you soon" Nova said, leaving the night off at that. She couldn't say that she was expecting what Q did next. 

He nodded his head and reached out to grab her hand. Squeezing her fingers gently, he brought her hand up to his face and placed a kiss on top of it. It was the most chivalrous thing any guy had ever done for her and it made her heart swell.

"Good night, Nova Brady...AKA, pineapple pizza girl."

Nova couldn't help but chuckle as he released her hand. The continued to make eyes at each other as he walked backwards, waiting until the last moment to turn around and tear his gaze from her. She stood on the front steps of her building as she watched him pull away, returning the wave he gave her as he put his car in drive. 

She took a deep breath before she went inside and on her way up she paused, realizing there was one more thing she had to do, before she could end their night. 

She pulled out her phone and searched for Q's number. She wrote "Btw, happy birthday again", giving him concrete proof that she not going to write him off. She continued walking and by the time she got to her door, her phoned pinged. 

Q: Best birthday ever!


	10. Matching Tattoos

(OOOK So I have a little confession to make. I might have made a mistake on Brian's age, my bad! I'm having this story take place right before season three and I was watching an episode from that season a few days ago and someone said that Brian was actually 36 or 37 when that season aired. In this story, I accidentally labeled him as 40 so I totally goofed there. Just figured I'd clear that up, carry on...Hope everyone likes this chapter! The rest of the jokers will definitely be in the next one!)

 

 

"So you guys didn't have sex?"

The day after her night with Q, Nova had the day off and decided to give Violet a call to tell her all about her night with Q. Five minutes into the phone conversation, she realized that along with Violet's dry and realistic approach, she also needed a little of Heather's hopeful and optimistic like view points so long story short, they ended up all agreeing to meet for breakfast to discuss the potential new man in Nova's life, Mr. Q.

Nova tried to reach out to Robin as well, but didn't get through, which wasn't very surprising. Robin had never been up early enough to see a Sunday morning as long as Nova knew her. She knew her job took a toll on her during the week so Nova never pressured her to come out. 

"No! And it was so sweet how he said it, I wasn't even offended. It actually made me respect him more. I don't know girls, I know it's too soon but this guy might just be someone to consider." Nov gushed. 

As Heather looked like she may be in love as well from Nova's story, Violet narrowed her eyes. "From what? One night out with TruTV's mascot?" She said, bringing Nova back down to Earth. "You guys weren't there, he wasn't at all like the guy that I saw in those videos Robin sent me. He really was a gentleman. And it was his birthday and he only had one glass of champagne!" Nova said to Violet as if she were saying 'take that!'

"OK OK, I just don't want you putting all your eggs in one basket, I mean what if this is how he treats all the girls that pop up in his life, I think you need to go on a few more dates before you label him as 'The one'" Violet lectured, using air quotes. 

"I'm not labeling him as 'The one', I'm just saying, I've never had a guy pull out all the stops for me before, I mean he even held the door open when I got out of the car" Nova said, defending herself. 

"Oh my goodness! That's so romantic! Don't listen to her, this guy definitely deserves a shot! I mean if you are willing to spend time on all those other guys who didn't make half the impression that Q made, then Q is more than deserving of your affections" Heather chimed in. 

"You see! Thank you!" Nova motioned to Heather while looking at Violet. 

"Look, I'm not saying that this guy doesn't deserve a chance, I just don't want you getting caught up in all this romantic mumbo jumbo and lose yourself before you truly see what he's all about. It sometimes takes more than a few dates for you to see someone's true colors" Violet argued. 

"OK, I won't get caught up in his mumbo jumbo, I just...I just think he's really something, you know. I don't even remember the last time someone gave me butterflies the way he did" Nova said with a starry look in her eyes. 

The look on her friend's face was enough to make Violet back off and smile. Even though she gave Nova a hard time, it was nice for her to see her friend this happy and she hope that things continued to go this way with Q. She just had to make sure Nova's feelings were legit. It was her way of being a good friend, and it was one of the things that Nova loved about Violet. Sometimes it was nice to hear some cold hard truth. 

The girls ordered their food and sat and talked a little bit about their week. Nova heard her phone go off and she reached in her purse to see who it was. All the sudden a smile spread on her face and Heather caught onto what was up. 

"That's him isn't it?! Oooh what did he say! What did he say!?" Heather asked excitedly, waving her hands. 

Still smiling, Nova turned her phone around and showed the girls the text message. 

"Good morning pretty bird?" Violet said, cocking an eyebrow. "Pretty bird! It's from the song! The Hot Canary!" Heather exclaimed, looking like she was about to cry. 

"OK, OK, I'll admit, that was cute" Violet said, throwing Nova a bone. Nova flicked her eye brows and wrote Q back good morning with a smiley emoji. She put her phone back in her purse and set it down, not wanting to be rude to her friends. She would text him back after their breakfast so she wouldn't be under their scrutiny. 

When Nova and her friends finished up, she said goodbye to them and parted ways, walking back to her apartment. She pulled out her phone to see that Q texted her back. 

Q: What are you up to today?

Nova smiled. 

Nova: Nothing much, catching up on some laundry and just planning on taking it easy today, how about you?

Q: Same...Hanging out with these pussies today

The next message that came through was an adorable picture of Q with his cats all laying together in his bed. Nova giggled and wrote back.

Nova: Aww they are so cute! At least you have some good company today :)

Q: Yeah they definitely know how to party

He then sent her another picture of a solid black cat on his back with his legs up in the air sleeping. Nova snorted, this guy definitely knew how to make her laugh. 

Nova: LOL! Too cute! 

Q: So, I know you said you have an affair with your laundry today but would you maybe wanna do something later?

Nova: Sure, what did you have in mind?

Q: Be ready around 3ish and you'll find out? Will that give you enough time?

Nova: Yeah sure, 3 it is!

Q: Great! I'll pick you up, see you then!

Nova grew excited knowing that she was going to see him again so soon. She couldn't help but wonder what he had up his sleeve. She rushed home and quickly threw on a load of laundry, tackling all the tasks that she planned to do over the course of the day. She had a brief phone conversation with her mother and even got around to finishing up the pictures of the Joker's photo session. 

It was around 2:00 and Nova had just finished her last load of laundry. She put it away, leaving out an outfit for work tomorrow and plugged her phone in her speaker to put on some tunes. After that, she began to prance around her apartment, getting ready for her second date with Q. 

She had no idea what he had planned for today so she decided to be comfortable and wore a pair of skinny jeans with a blue tank, topping it with a black cardigan and some flats. She did her make up respectively, adding a few sparkles to her eye liner and styled her hair curly, putting a small bow by her part. 

She was in the middle of applying a light layer of lip gloss when she heard her intercom buzz. Stumbling over some clothes that were on the floor, she rushed over to her door and pressed the button. "Hello?" she said, glancing at the time and having a good idea who it was. 

"Hey it's Q, I'm here" 

"OK, be right down!"

Nova ran over to her mirror to give herself one last look over. Deciding that this was as good as it was gonna get, she grabbed her Betsy Johnson purse and headed out the door. When she arrived outside, she couldn't help but stop and smile. 

There he was, parked in the street and leaning up against his red jeep with his arms crossed as if he were straight out of a James Dean film, waiting for her. 

"Well hello Miss Nova" He said, greeting her with a warm smile. Nova's heart skipped about two beats at the sight of him. He was much more casual today than when she saw him last night, he was dressed in a black shirt with jeans and his usual page boy hat. Nova still found him sexy. Judging by the look he on his face, he was probably thinking the same about her. 

"Hi Mr.Quinn" Nova said cheerfully, playing along. As she walked closer to him, he gave her a sincere look up and down and raised his eye brows saying "Wow, you look nice, I like your hair like that."

"Ohh thanks, yeah I decided to go natural today" Nova said as she fake fluffed her hair. 

"Yeah it looks good, you ready?"

Nova nodded her head and like the gentleman that he was, he opened the door for her again and she climbed into the front seat of his Jeep. After they pulled away, she tried to get him to tell them where they were going but he refused, telling her it was a surprise. Truth be told, Nova hated surprises but decided to give him this one, keeping that little detail to herself for now and just going with the flow. 

"Don't worry, I promise you will love this!" He assured her. Nova gave him a smirk and decided to let it go. 

"So, I'm surprised that you have some free time, I figured you'd have your hands full with the show and what not?"

"Yeah. We are between seasons right now so most of the preparations are out of my hands, we go back to filming in a few weeks, right after we come back from our tour" Q explained. 

Nova turned her head, puzzled by what he meant. "Tour?" She questioned. 

"Ohh yeah, we're going on tour for just a week and a half at the end of the month, five states, five cities, ten shows. We are going to do one here in New York, then Nashville, then Atlanta, then in Orlando, and then we are finishing up with Vegas" Q listed off. 

"Oh wow! You are going to Orlando Florida? That's about two hours from my home town!" Nova exclaimed. 

"Ohh yeah? That's cool. Yeah I've been to Orlando a few times, its hot but it's not bad." 

"Yeah that pretty much sums it up, it's a nice area. I used to think it was really busy but after living here for so long, Orlando traffic has got nothing on New York."

The continued to make light conversation until Q parked the car in a parking garage. Nova still had no clue where they were going and Q had a grin on his face knowing that. He led her outside and when they finally stopped, Nova gasped and her face lit up. 

"Well, what do you think? Did I do good or what?" Q asked, smiling from Nova's reaction. 

"Oh my goodness! Yes! Yes you did! The last time that I went to one of these places was when I was a kid, before I came to New York!" Nova squealed, jumping up and down. Brian couldn't help but laugh at her. 

There they stood in front of the biggest arcade she had ever seen. Of course everything in New York was on the larger scale and from the looks of this place, it wasn't going to disappoint. With out thinking, Nova grabbed Brian's wrist and began to pull him inside, eager to re-live some childhood years. 

Once they got inside, Q went to the counter and put some money on a game card as Nova explored around, wide-eyed and wondrous. She stopped in front of a row of air hockey tables, figuring this would be the best place to start, and waited for Q. 

Luckily, it was a Sunday so the place wasn't that busy, but Q still left his hat on just in case so there would be less of a chance of him being recognized. 

"Ohh so this is what you pick huh? Air hockey? OK" He questioned as he made his way over to her. Nova asked him what could possibly be wrong with air hockey?

"Oh Nothing's wrong, I would just hate to make you cry on our second date, I kick ass at this game " He teased, putting the game card in to start the game, with a cocky smile. "Ohh OK, we shall see about that, I'll have you know, I was the three...No, four all time air hockey champion at the local arcade in my home town" Nova boasted. 

Q cocked an eyebrow, looking surprised and asked "Really?"

"...No...But I just really love air hockey" Nova admitted with a grin. 

"Ohh, she's got jokes. Alright, how about you put your money where your mouth is, lets play" Brian antagonized, sliding her a striker. He pushed a button, making the puck come out and tossed it on the table. They began to play probably the most intense battle of air hockey Nova had ever partaked in, clanking the puck back and forth aggressively. They each made their own brand of sound effects each time they blocked the puck, Nova's sounding way more dramatic than Q's. 

It only took two games before Nova was bored. Q beat her both games but he wasn't too rough on her, which Nova appreciated. After air hockey, they went over to play some Ski ball, which Nova was the successor in and then moved over to the pin ball machines where they played side by side. 

Q liked to watch Nova as she played and couldn't help but steal a few glances her way every now and then. She was so into it, no matter which station she was on, she would hunch over and her eyes would dart all over the board, not breaking her concentration. If she was winning and doing good, she would jump up and down, making all kinds of high pitched sound effects and if she was losing, she would use profanities that he had never even heard before, making him laugh and shake his head. 

"Ah! Mother fucking shit cunts!" Nova yelled at one point, banging the machine with her hand. 

Q blinked and furrowed his eye brows, not sure if he heard her correctly. He turned to look over at her and she was hunched over as if it were a slot machine and she just dropped some serious cash. He caught the eye of a woman a few machines down from her, looking and shaking her head in disgust. 

"OK crazy pants, I think we are done here...Time to find something else for you to yell at" Q said, stepping over and gently grabbing her underneath her arm to pull her away. "No no no no, I still have one more turn!" Nova cried, clutching the handle of the machine with her free arm. Q managed to pull her away without laughing and led her over to a different section of the arcade. 

"Sorry, I get a little over competitive sometimes" Nova said in shame. "Ah don't worry about it. I'm just happy to see that you are having fun and that you didn't think this was too lame of an idea" Q said, putting her consciousness at ease. 

"No, no I love it! I've always wanted to come here but my friends aren't really the arcade type and well, it's no fun going alone" 

"Yeah, me and the guys come down here every now and then to blow off some steam but I can honestly say this is the first time I've came here with a girl" Brian admitted. 

"Well I'm game to come here anytime, I think this is the coolest arcade I've ever been to!" Nova said. 

They turned the corner, entering a new section and Nova stopped dead in her tracks and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Right away Q became alert, not sure what was going on. "Whoa! You OK?" He asked in concern. 

"Oh my God! I haven't played this since high school! This is my shit!" Nova yelled, leaving Q's side to go run over to a big machine that said Dance Dance Revolution. 

"I used to love this game! Me and my friends had it on PS2, we used to play it every single weekend! AHH!" She squealed as she stepped onto the platform. 

Q casually strolled over, taking a look at the screen. "Huh, I didn't know they had one of these things in here."

"Come on, we can do two player! Hop on!" Nova instructed as she took the game card and swiped it. "Ohh no, you don't want me to do that...I'm not much of a dancer" Q said backing away. 

"You don't have to be a good dancer to play, they give you the steps, come on it will be fun! They even have a beginner mode!" Nova pressured. 

If Q was beginning to learn anything about this girl, it was that she was persistent and that saying no probably wouldn't get him very far so he figured to hell with it and hopped on.

Like he said before, he was used to being uncomfortable so why not do it to make this girl smile.

After they picked their characters, Nova scrolled through the song list and hit start when she found the right one with an "Ah ha!"

"Speed over Beethoven?" Brian questioned, feeling very unsure about this. 

"Yeah, this was my go to song! I love this one, just follow the arrows with your feet and you'll be OK" Nova gleamed. 

The moment the song started, Brian knew this was a mistake. His steps were very rough and jerky and his timing was way off. Before long, his screen turned to red and it started to boo him as Nova glided through the arrows, making it look a lot easier than it was. 

"I'm already exhausted and the song is not even over yet, why are they booing me!?" Brian stammered, out of breath while laughing at himself.

"Because you suck!" Nova laughed out while trying not to miss a step. 

Nova forgot how many jumps there were in the song and she almost felt bad for dragging him on it. At one point, Q ended up sitting down in the middle and used his hands to hit the arrows in defeat. Nova cracked up laughing so hard that she missed a few arrows and broke her winning streak. Every now and then he would reach out and grab her ankle to try and mess her up, laughing when she would shriek.

After the song was over, Q stood up and told Nova that he was gonna sit out and watch her on the next one. Nova let him bow out this time, seeing that he was in no shape for this game. She continued to play, feeling like she was showing off her skills as Q watched her, looking impressed. Three songs later, she was now the one out of breath and Q grabbed her hand, helping her off the platform. 

"Wow, I haven't done that in years! That was so much fun! We HAVE to come here again!" Nova said excitedly. Q smiled, happy that she had such a good time. "We will, I'm so happy you liked it! Now I don't have to dispose of you when we get outta here" Q joked. 

"So what? Me liking the arcade was the deciding factor of that?" Nova questioned, giving him a look. "Yeah pretty much" Q replied honestly. Nova playfully smacked him as they walked over to the prize counter. 

They both took a good look around at all the prizes, commenting on the ones that they thought were cool. Q commented on a very elaborate Superman poster that he thought was cool and Nova filed that little detail away, that he was a big Superman fan. The didn't play too many games that gave them tickets, so between the two of them they only had about twenty. 

"Hey. How about these?" Q said, pointing to a bin on top of a prize case. Nova strolled over to see what he was suggesting and raised her eyebrows, giving him a look. 

"Isn't it too soon for matching tattoos?" Nova questioned, tilting her head to the side. 

"Nahh, I say be spontaneous, you only live once" Q joked. 

Nova chuckled and shook her head from side to side, stepping over to look through the bin of temporary tattoos. "Ehh what the hell, I am from Central Florida" she snarked, flicking through each one. There wasn't really anything in there that was her style, it was mostly Disney characters and monster truck designs. 

Just when Nova thought that the bin had been picked clean of all the good ones, at the bottom she found two that were perfect. 

"Ohh! Let's get these!" Nova said as she held up two tie dye peace signs. They were the perfect size, tasteful, and classic, which Nova felt like summed up their day nicely. Q laughed and scratched the back of his neck. 

"Ohh sure, let's get em'" he finally agreed, handing over the tickets to the clerk. 

"Come on! Let's go put them on now!" Nova said, pulling Q along before he could protest. She pulled him over to the bathrooms and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, Nova opened the door and told Q to follow her. 

"Wait wait wait, that's the ladies room, I'm afraid this is where I have to draw the line" Q said nervously, holding up his hands. 

"Ohh come on! Don't be a puss, it's a single stall and no one's in here, it's fine" Nova said, pushing Q in and locking the door. 

She laid the tattoos down on the counter and grabbed two paper towels, wetting them in the sink. "Where do you want to put them?" She asked with a giggle. "Pfft, I don't know, this was your idea, where ever you want" Q said passively as she turned off the water. 

"Here, how about we do our wrists, I'll put yours on and you on mine" Nova instructed, stepping closer and handing him her tattoo and the wet paper towel. Q agreed and they both held out their wrists for one another, placing the tattoo where they wanted it. 

All the sudden, the air between them started to get very heavy and Nova became aware of just how close she was standing to Q. They each had a gentle hold of each others arms as they used their thumbs to hold the paper towel in place. 

"We can't move, it has to stay on for a least two minutes" Nova breathed out, looking down at their hands, not making eye contact with Q. 

"Hmm...That's a long time" Q stated as he made eyes at Nova. "Might need something to do to pass the time" He hinted, rocking back on his heels. 

Nova smiled and looked up to tell him it would be done before they knew it, but was swallowed up in his gaze when their eyes met. Q had gone quiet now and was staring at her with such an intense but gentle expression. His eyes slowly flicked to hers, down to her lips, and then back on her eyes again, making Nova swallow hard and her heart beat faster. 

To Nova, Q's best feature were his eyes. They held a certain sincerity and being this up close and personal, she really got to soak them in and admire the sweet look on his face. It was how he drew her in. Nova slowly smiled and tilted her head to the side as if she were giving him the permission that he was silently requesting.

All the sudden, they both were jerked back to consciousness by someone loudly banging on the door. Nova let out a shaky breath and rested her forehead against Q's chest, her thick emotions leaving her all at once. She tried to suppress her laugh as they banged on the door again. "One second!" Nova called out, looking back up to Q. 

"Think they are done?" Brian asked with a smirk, looking down at their wrists. Sure enough, they pulled back the paper and they each were branded with a perfect little peace sign, symbolizing their day. Nova smiled and told Q that she loved it. 

"Come on, let's get outta here" Q said, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the bathroom. Outside, the lady that gave Nova a glare earlier from her colorful use of profanity stood outside, now giving both of them the stink eye. Q looked her up and down and held up his wrist saying "Ohh come on! We were putting on tattoos! Get'cha head outta the gutter!"

Nova cracked up making a snorting sound as she pushed him along, practically running to the exit. They were both still in a fit of giggles as they reached the car, Nova yelling "Did you see her face?!"

Q opened her door (as usual) and closed it after she climbed in the passengers seat. Even though Q wanted nothing more that to kiss her back there, he was actually happy they were interrupted. He knew that he could do better than giving them their first kiss in a dirty arcade bathroom, and he fully planned on it. He was really starting to like this girl after the day they had together. It was nice to see her in a more relaxed setting and enjoyed getting to know the girl behind the photographer and the singer. They had similar values and the fact that she wasn't afraid to drop her guard and nerd out with him made her that much sweeter. 

"Oooh! I love this song!" Nova blurted out, leaning forward to turn up the radio. It was Blank Space by Taylor swift. "Ohh, you a fellow Taylor fan?" Q asked, looking over at her for a moment. "Ehh, I wouldn't say she's my favorite but she's got some pretty good songs, I don't really care for her newer stuff. 1989 was the last album she did where she had my attention and there was only a few songs from that one that I cared for" Nova rambled on. 

"Wait a second...You said fellow Taylor fan...You like Taylor Swift?" Nova asked in amusement. "Yeaaaah, you got me, I guess you could call her one of my guilty pleasures. What's funny is that this is actually my favorite song she does, get's me every time. 1989 is really the only album of hers that I listen to" Q explained.

He thought for sure that she would laugh at him, but much to his surprise, she said "Hm" and shook her head like it was totally normal. Not too many guys she knew were into Taylor Swift and Nova found it interesting (in a good way) that Q did. She then turned up the radio a bit louder and began to sing along, smiling when Q joined her. 

Even after the song was over, Nova continued to find more songs on the radio they had in common and they kept singing to each other. Granted, Q couldn't carry a tune in a bucket to save his life but Nova didn't care the least bit, or give him any weird looks implying that she did. She liked that he was able to sing with her and not be too embarrassed or too manly to do so. 

Q pulled up to Nova's apartment, and just like the last time they were here like this, he ran over to the other side and grabbed the door for her. Just like last time, he walked her up to the entrance like the building, and just like last time, they each stood in front of each other, bouncing back and forth on their heels and trying to come up with the right words to express how wonderful of a time they had. 

"I think every time I hear Blank Space now, I'm going to think of you" Nova admitted. "Wow...I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult" Q said with a goofy look on his face. Nova laughed. 

"Sorry, poor choice of words I guess" Nova said, fiddling with the straps on her purse. "It's cool, I'm just busting your chops, I know what you meant...Thank you for coming out with me again. I really had a nice time...Again" Q said, being sincere. 

Nova began to grow anxious as she felt the air begin to weigh them down again. There was a slight awkward silence between them, which Nova broke by saying "I might see you again this week. I have to drop by the network to deliver those pictures. I finally finished them."

"Ohh that's cool. Can't wait to see them, I'm sure everyone feels the same. I know Pete will be happy" Q responded. "Yeah, I'll text you to let you know what day, I gotta give Robin a call so she can set something up, I think she wants to be there when I deliver them...Well it was nice seeing you again, I'm gonna head up, drive safe" Nova stammered, her nerves getting the better of her. 

She felt awkward and didn't know what to do or if she should have made the first move or not, so she did what her instinct told her to do, she fled. Q only let her get so far before he reached out and grabbed her hand, making her stop. 

Nova spun around and looked him in the eyes. He wore a serious expression and slowly pulled her back into him, not letting her go so easily. Nova felt all the moisture leave her mouth, now that they were standing chest to chest, but she didn't break his gaze. She was sure he could feel her heart beating now because she could definitely feel his. 

Brian reached up and cupped the side of her face with his hand and dipped his forehead into hers. Nova had to focus on breathing from the over powering desire of wanting him. She leaned into his touch as he stroked his thumb against her cheek. 

"Is this OK?" he asked, having a feeling he already knew the answer but wanting to hear her say it anyway. "Yes...This is perfect" She breathed out, mesmerized from his touch and being so close to him. 

Brian smiled as he leaned in, slightly tilting his head and kissed her, making the butterflies in her stomach multiply. It was perfect. Everything about him and this moment was perfect. He was gentle, yet firm at the same time, giving her the impression that he knew for sure that he wanted this, that he wanted her. 

Letting go of her face, he brought both of his hands up and ran his fingers through her hair and then brought them back, resting them on the sides of her face. Both of their bodies tensed and Nova's breath hitched as she tried to process what was going on. She was finally getting her first kiss with Brian Quinn, and it was every bit as hott as he was. His thumb continued to stroke her cheekbone as Nova subconsciously moved her hands to his shoulders, and then up to lace around the back of his neck. 

They each poured every single bit of restrained emotion that they had been holding back since the day they met at the photo shoot. His hands slid down to the curve of her sides, resting on her hips, pulling her into him as he continued to move his lips over hers. The smoothness of his lips and the scratchiness of his beard created an interesting contrast that left Nova wanting more and more. 

Finally Nova pulled away and after looking into each other's eyes for a moment with satisfied smiles, she reached down to grab his hand and pulled him towards the entrance of her building.

The smile on Brian's face faded and Nova could feel his resistance in her grasp. When she turned around, it was all over his face. The stars in Nova's eyes fell and she said "Look, we don't have to do anything, but do you really want to continue this out here? I don't know about you but I'm not quite ready for this to end."

In that moment Brian admired how straight forward she could be. Yes, he didn't want to ruin things with sex too fast. He didn't want Nova to get the impression that that's what this was all about and granted, it was highly unusual for his track record but he didn't want Nova to think that of him. He found himself actually caring what she thought of him. 

When Nova started to pull him up, yes, there was hesitation there but it was because he didn't want to put her in a compromising position, thinking that this is what had to happen but as soon as Nova explained herself, she started to make a lot of sense...

A smile slowly spread on Brian's face, as he told her "...Lead the way..."


	11. Must Be a Joker Thing

Later that week, after Brain and Nova's steamy make-out session, Nova was in her apartment getting ready to head down to TruTV to deliver the promo pictures. She had called Robin to let her know that they were ready (after telling her all about the juicy details of her second date with Q) and Robin told Nova that she would let Pete McPartland know and set up a time for her to come down. 

"Ugh! I thought that you said you weren't going to see him anymore, I gotta admit I'm surprised" Robin said, voicing her opinion a little too much. "Yeah I know, but there was just something about him. After I saw him at The Haunted Star, I don't know, something between us just clicked and I figured the guy at least deserved a chance" Nova explained. 

"Hmm...Is he at least good in bed?" Robin asked, holding no punches. Nova couldn't help but snicker at her question. "Well I don't know...We haven't had sex yet, all we did was kiss" Nova said, feeling a little embarrassed as the words came out of her mouth. "Seriously? Well what are you waiting for?"

"Oh it's not me, it's him. He wants to wait...He's afraid of messing things up by moving to quickly, I think it's sweet. He's quite the gentleman."

The way Robin snorted on the other end of the line made Nova feel defensive. "Ohh sweetie, I'm sorry but the only two reasons why men in New York say things like that is because A, they have a problem, or B, they are just not that into you...I think you need to tread lightly around this one. I don't mean to upset you but I think you are forgetting who he is. You need to remember he is a celebrity and for guys like that, the market isn't exactly restricted."

Nova blinked and frowned, surprised that Robin would say something like that to her. 

"Gee, supportive much?" Nova said, feeling annoyed. 

"I'm sorry Nova, I don't mean to sound negative but I just don't want to see you get hurt. You're one of my best friends and I love you dearly, I just know guys like this. I've been in the business long enough to see it all. I do hope you end up being the exception to the rule and it works out for you but I just want you to be prepared just in case it doesn't" Robin advised. 

Nova's anger dissipated when she realized that Robin was just trying to look out for her and she was showing that she cared, but her words left her with a bit of skepticism. Could there really be an underlying reason why Q did not want to have sex with her? And if that were the case, what could it be?

"It's OK, I know you're just looking out for me. I just really like him. It's so easy to be around him and we like the same things. I like that he's not afraid to be funny and show me who he really is. I guess what I'm trying to say is I feel the spark."

"Well for your sake, I hope he feels it too, sounds like you are getting in deep" said Robin. 

"It's too soon to tell, but yeah...Maybe" Nova said, feeling a smile appear on her face. 

Before they ended their conversation, Robin told Nova that she would text her the time and day to come to the network to showcase her pictures and they hadn't talked since. 

Now Nova was on her way, dressed to kill and eager to show off what she had been working on for the past two weeks. She had checked through her images so many times to make sure they were perfect that they were starting to appear in her dreams. She really felt like she had something that was impressive and she was praying that the network felt the same way. Not only was her reputation on the line, Robin's was as well. 

She had her computer with her as well as five different flash drives. She put one together with all the pictures that she was going to present to the network and then she made a special flash drive for each of the Jokers with their individual pictures, the group shots, and all the fun ones she took when they were goofing off with all the crew and having a good time. 

When Nova arrived at the TruTV network building, just like last time she went to the front counter and told the lady behind the desk her name and her reason for being here. She said that she had an appointment with Pete McPartland and that he was expecting her in about twenty minutes and she knew she was early. 

As Nova was waiting for the woman to check her records, she felt someone tap on her shoulder. As she turned around, at first she didn't see anyone, and then out of the corner of her eye she caught Joe trying to dodge her. "Hey sweetie, how are you? Good to see ya" He said in a very friendly voice as he leaned in and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"I'm good! How are you? It's so good to see you too!" Nova replied warmly as she returned the gesture. "Great! You here to drop off the pictures?" He asked, glancing down at her bag with a smile. 

"Oh yes! Yes I am, Oh! Wait a second" Nova said excitedly as she began to dig through her bag. "Here, this is for you" She said, pulling out his flash drive and handing it to him. "YES! Thank you so much! I've been DYING to see these pictures! I told my wife all about them and she can't wait to see them either, I know you got some amazing shots!" Joe said happily. 

"Yeah, sorry it took me so long, I just wanted them to be perfect ya know?" 

"No worries, I'm sure it was worth the wait" Joe replied. The lady behind the desk interrupted them to tell Nova where the meeting was and that she could head up there now. After thanking her, Joe offered to walk Nova up, hooking his arm around hers to lead the way. 

"So, I'm gonna be nosy, how are things going between you and Q?" He asked, being very straight forward. 

"Me and Q? They are great, I guess. We just saw each other a few days ago and we have been texting back and forth a bit. He's such a nice guy...I think I'm really starting to like him" Nova said, feeling a little funny talking about Q to Joe like this. 

"Ohh that's great! Yeah, he can come off a little rough around the edges but he's really a big softie. I'm happy things are starting to work out between you guys, maybe one of these days we can all go out and do something" Joe suggested. 

"Really?" Nova said, blinking at his statement. "Yeah of course! We all think you're great. Me and the guys were just saying that we hope Q don't screw things up with ya, I think you could be really good for each other" Joe said confidently. 

Nova was taken back by his words. "Well, I think you guys are great as well. Thank you for saying that, it means a lot coming from you. As for Q, I can't really say yet if things will work out, everything is still pretty new but I don't know, I kinda feel like we are on the right track" Nova said honestly. 

Joe put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in with a squeeze and warmly said "He would be an idiot to let you get away."

Nova smiled as they began to approach the room that she had to be in. She really liked Joe and aside from her feelings for Q, he was starting to become her favorite Joker, and not just on screen. He was so genuine and kindhearted, he always made her feel welcome no matter what the situation was. He had such an energy that made her feel comfortable and she was hoping that whether or not things continued to blossom between her and Q, they could still be friends. 

"Well, I guess this is it" Nova said nervously as she looked back and forth between Joe and the door. "You got this sweetheart, you will do great, come by room 402 when you are done, I'll be there with Murr and Q. We're working on something for the show but we'd still like to see you, hee hee I know Q would. You can give them their thumb drives and let us know how it went" Joe said, giving Nova a wink. 

Nova agreed to stop by and Joe gave her another hug and a kiss on a cheek and reminded her to relax and then left Nova to her meeting. Nova took a deep breath and opened the door, not at all prepared for what was on the other side. 

Robin was the first face she saw. She greeted her and brought her into the room where there were a bunch of men from the network sitting at a large round table, along with a projector screen in the center. It was quite over whelming, considering Nova thought that the meeting was going to be between her, Pete, and Robin only, so this was a surprise. 

Nova scanned the faces sitting around the table and smiled when she saw Sal was there amongst them. She almost didn't recognize him, being that this was the first time she had seen him in glasses. He got up to greet her with a light hug and a kiss on the check, just like Joe did to her, only not as firm. She figured that it must be a joker thing, but it did made her feel more welcome in an energy that was beginning to suffocate her. 

He led her over to an empty chair next to his and Robin began to introduce her to everyone in the room, along with the position they held in the network. She was basically sat before all the head members of the art department along with some of the directors and producers of the show. Nova had to remind herself to breath and relax so she didn't make a fool of herself. 

If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she was scared to death.

After introducing everyone, Robin turned to her and quietly asked if she had the pictures. "Ohh yes! Here" Nova said as she scrambled in her bag for the flash drive she put together for them. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as they waited for her to hand them over to Robin. 

She grabbed the networks drive along with Sal's and handed it over to Robin, keeping Sal's in her hand. Nova felt completely on blast in front of all these men, she stayed quiet as they plugged her flash drive into the projector, feeling terribly anxious for the images to pop up on the big screen. 

Unlike how the photo session went on her first day with the jokers, the vibes in this room felt stiff and very formal. Nova felt like she was being observed under a microscope and for the first time through out this process, she was questioning herself on whether or not her images were good enough. She was afraid that all of these men that were complete strangers to her were going to rip apart all her photos and all the hard work she put into them. Nova swallowed hard, unsure if she would be able to handle it. 

All the sudden, the projection screen lit up and this first image that popped up was an up close shot of Joe, making one of his silly faces. Nova smirked at the picture, every time she saw him make that face she could never fight the smile that would bubble up at the humor of it. The rest of them men stayed quiet and emotionless as they began to flick through image after image. 

For the first half of all the Joker's individuals, everyone stayed quiet. The room was harder to read than the oldest testament of the bible and Nova shifted in her seat, feeling nauseous from the anticipation. She couldn't tell if their silence was a good thing or a bad thing.

As if Sal was catching her vibes, he reached down and gently patted her knee. She looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile and mouthed "It's OK, relax" to her. Nova returned the smile and while everyone's attention was on the pictures, she slid Sal's flash drive on the table in front of him. 

He looked down and smiled at her, mouthing out a "Thank you", and then turned his attention back to the screen after palming the drive in his hand. 

After flicking through a few more pictures, Pete broke the eerie silence, saying "These are quite good." 

Nova felt relief wash over her and her self doubt began to diminish. "I like how vibrant your editing style is, it represents the show nicely with out being too distracting." One of the photography directors said, not taking his eyes off the screen. 

"Thank you...Thank you so much...I really appreciate you saying that" Nova said modestly. "I told you she wouldn't disappoint. Trust me, I know my stuff when it comes to any kind of marketing and I knew that she would be able to give you exactly what you were looking for, Nova is amazing and you would be a fool to not scoop this one up before some one else does" Robin said boldly. 

Before Nova could process what she meant, Pete said "I'll admit, I was skeptical at first, bringing someone in off the street who is not affiliated with an agency of any sort but I really gotta hand it to you Robin, I'm impressed. These images are great and almost all of them are usable."

Nova was beginning to feel like they forgot she was in the room as everyone around her talked business. "I think that we would be able to start with the next phase sooner than we thought, as you can see these are fully edited and there is not much else we have to do to them. Her client has exceeded expectations and saved us about two weeks of production work. I'd say these are ready to present as they are" Sal said formally. 

"We can be set to launch the first round of promos no later than mid April" Another producer said officially. "Excellent. I'll go ahead and put a rush on the paper work to get that started" Robin said with a confident smile. 

"What else can you do?" Pete said, now addressing Nova, which threw her off guard. "What?" Nova asked, not fully sure what he meant or if he was really talking to her. 

"What else can you do? Do you just do studio style portraits or are you more diverse?" He asked simply. "Oh, yes! I mean no! I am currently employed by an outlet magazine for Home and Garden, I take pictures for all of their promotional needs and I do the images they use for their catalogs, but other than that I have done other things. I got my start working for a dance photography company where I would do studio portraits of dancers and take action shots of their competitions, I've done tons of weddings, birthday parties, school photos...I guess you can say I've done a little bit of everything" Nova explained. 

"My client is very diverse as you can see. I wouldn't have brought her in if I thought otherwise, when I told you I had connections to the best of the best, I meant it" Robin said defensively. 

"Hmm, interesting...Do you have any samples with you?" Pete asked leaning back in his chair and completely ignoring Robin. 

"Samples?" Nova questioned politely, unsure of what he meant. "He wants to see your portfolio" Sal said softly to Nova. "Oh yes! I have my computer with me which pretty much has my life hee hee, just give me a sec to boot it up" Nova said humbly. 

As Nova pulled out her laptop, she received a few scrutinizing looks from some of the men sitting around her. It took her a second to realize that they were starring at all the stickers that graffitied the back of her laptop screen and she knew it probably wasn't the most professional looking device but it was all she had. "That's cool" Sal said, pointing to one of the stickers as Nova rushed to pull up a portfolio she had been adding to over the years. Nova shot him a thankful smile. 

"Here it is...I must warn you, there's quite a few things in there, normally I would have refined it a bit if I knew I would be presenting but at least this gives you an idea of everything I've done" Nova said, sliding over her laptop. Suddenly this was all feeling like a job interview that Nova was not prepared for. 

To Nova's surprised, he plugged her laptop into the projector so that the whole room could see her life's work. She was totally on blast now and out there for everyone to see. She took a deep breath to relax, not at all expecting this. 

Pete began to click through her images, a little quicker than he did with the pictures she handed over to them earlier, and again the silence made Nova feel uncomfortable. 

Every now and then Pete would pass over an image that he really liked and say "Nice" before moving on to the next. "You have got quite the stock here" He finally said after flipping through about fifty or so photos. "Thank you" Nova said graciously with a polite smile. 

"Have you ever thought about pursuing a career in television?" Pete asked, turning his attention to Nova. "Every day" Nova blurted out wide eyed and honestly, looking back and forth from Pete to Robin. 

For the first time, Nova saw Pete smile at the honesty of her words. "Interesting, well, we will be in touch...Do you have a card?"

Before Nova could answer, Robin stepped in and said "She's my client, I have all her contact info, I could get in touch with her later when you need to use her services-"

"That's OK, I was the one asking her. Do you have a card" Pete said, cutting off Robin by holding up his hand in her direction. Nova could practically feel the heat wave that came off Robin, though she couldn't say she blamed her for the way Pete just shut her down. 

As if she wasn't uncomfortable enough, witnessing that power struggle did the trick. 

"Here" Nova said, reaching in an outside pocket of her purse and pulling out one of her business cards. This time Sal got up and walked the card over to Pete so she wouldn't have to awkwardly slide it over the table, and she thanked him for it. 

Pete glanced at her card for a moment and said "Great, like I said we will be in touch. We still have a few more things to discuss but as of right now this is all we have for you. You are free to go, thank you for coming here today and meeting with all of us, Denise will give you your check on the way out" Pete said formally. 

"Oh OK, well thanks for that...I'm happy you guys liked the pictures, thank you for the opportunity, it was a lot of fun" Nova stated as she rose from her chair. 

She walked over to shake Pete's hand and say her goodbyes. She gave Robin a nod and Sal walked her out, giving her one last hug before she exited the room. When he closed the door Nova walked a few steps away and collapsed against the wall.

Now that she was alone, Nova needed a minute to collect her thoughts and process just what the hell happened in there. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to shake her nerves away. She remembered Joe told her to look for them before she left and she still fully planned to do so.

She couldn't wait to tell Q everything that just happened.


	12. Netflix and Chill?

Nova arrived to room 402 just where Joe said him and the guys would be. She walked in the doorway and they all were sitting at a table with their backs turned to her, huddled around a computer. Nova loudly cleared her throat and they all whipped around, giving her a greeting that made her feel very good about herself. 

"How did it go?" Joe asked, returning to his seat after giving Nova another big hug. "Ugh! That was probably the scariest experience I have ever had presenting my work! I totally wasn't expecting everyone and their best friend from TruTV to be in that room" Nova said dramatically.

"Seriously? Shit I'm sorry, I figured you would know. Anything that deals with promos has to be okay'ed by every department so all the head members usually meet up and decide what is usable" Joe explained. 

"Yeah, this is my first time doing something that is for a television show so I guess I didn't really know what to expect" Nova said, grabbing a chair next to Q and reclining back. "God, I was so on blast, I felt like I was on a very intense job interview, Sal was there too."

"Well, you kinda were. If they liked your work, the chances are that they will want to use you again for other things, that's a really good sign that everyone was there, Sal usually goes on our behalf" Murr stated. 

"Yeah, you know Pete did ask for my card....Everyone seemed very pleased with what I had. Wow, I really thought that this was just a one time deal...It never occurred to me that they might bring me back" Nova said, thinking out loud. 

"Well if we have anything to say about it, I'm sure we can find a place for you here" Q said, giving Nova a sweet smile. 

Nova smiled back with a sparkle in her eyes that made Joe look back and forth between the two of them with a goofy look on his face. "DAAAWWWW...You guys are too cute! Do you want Murr and I to leave the room so you guys can have a uh...Private moment?" Joe teased. 

Right away Nova turned red and Q turned away sheepishly with a light chuckle. "No seriously! I gotta say I think it is adorable that you guys got together, and I didn't even have to set you's up! Nova, hunny, you are a doll. And Q, well I gotta say it buddy, you lucked out. I think I can say on behalf of all the Jokers, you have our full support. Now with that said, I think you guys need to go find a broom closet or something because I can practically see the hearts in your eyes with the way you are staring at each other." Joe continued to harass them.

Nova laughed at Joe's antics and Q said "What the hell did I say about being cool? Look, you're embarrassing the poor girl, you're going to chase her away before I get the opportunity to take her out again."

"Ohh come on, if you haven't chased her away yet, nothing will. You don't need me for that, right Nova?" Joe asked comically. 

Nova played along and rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you know that you guys are the whole reason I'm dating this guy right here. I just wanted to be closer to the rest of you, Q is just a bonus. And the fact that he is a fabulous kisser only sweetens the deal."

Her response sent Joe and Murr in a fit of hysterics, instantly making the room grow very loud, and Q turned his head and looked at Nova. "You really think I am a fabulous kisser?" He asked, giving Nova the look that made her weak at the knees. 

Nova bit her lip and scanned the room before answering. "I do" She said, returning Q's smile. "Ohh OK, I'm officially gonna throw up now, you guys are so sweet it's making me sick, go find that broom closet, some of us actually have to work around here" Joe butted in. 

They both looked at Joe and snickered. "Alright alright" Q said, waving his hands at Joe. "Come on Nova, I'll walk you out" Q said getting up out of his chair. "Ohh! Wait, I almost forgot!" Nova said, digging though her purse. 

"One for you, annnnnd one for you" She said, walking over and handing both Q and Murr their flash drives. She had handed Joe's to him earlier when she arrived so she didn't need to worry about his. 

"Are these the pictures?" Murr asked, holding up his drive. "They sure are! I even threw in the fun ones we did later in the day as a bonus!" Nova said proudly. "Sweet! Thanks for doing that! Ah! I can't wait to see these, I'm gonna go take a look at them right now!" Murr said excitedly, rushing over and shoving the drive in a nearby laptop. 

"Yeah thank you, you didn't have to do all that" Q said, looking at his flash drive and then back at Nova. "I know, but I wanted to" Nova said simply. 

"See! She's a peach! I told ya she was, don't fuck this up Q, we'd like to see this girl around more often" Joe said kindly. 

Q smirked at his friend and said "Come on Nova, let's get you away from these jokers before they alert the whole building."

Nova laughed and waved goodbye to Joe and Murr as Q ushered her out the door. He gently put a hand on Nova's back as they walked to the elevators. Now that they were alone and away from the others, Nova looked up at Q and found herself having to resist the urge to take Joe's advice about that broom closet. 

Q looked down at her and gave her a sweet smile that sent Nova over the edge. She stopped walking, grabbed Q by both of his hands and pushed him into the wall. Brian looked intrigued as he watched Nova be so assertive with him and she leaned in and kissed him. 

Brian pulled his hands out of her grasp and as his lips were still on hers, in one swift motion he reached down, scooped her up in his arms and spun her around so it was now her back against the wall. They continued to kiss as Nova's hands reached up and tangled her fingers through Q's hair, knocking his hat right off his head. 

They stayed like this for a few moments, a frenzied mess of pure lust, before they each found the strength to pull away. They stared at each other wildly for a moment before a smile slowly crept on each of their faces. "Wow" Nova breathed out, as Q put her down to release her. 

"Yeah, Wow" Q replied back the same way. "What are you doing tonight?" Nova asked, still hot and bothered from their make out session. "Making plans with you" Q said honestly. Nova couldn't resist the urge to giggle. 

"You're so cute" She said, leaning in to give him a gentle peck on his cheek and lacing her fingers with his. "You're cute...What do you want to do?" Q replied back, giving her a wink. 

"Do you wanna come over?" Nova asked, shooting Q a look to see if he would challenge her proposal. "We could...How do these millennial's say it....Netflix and chill?" She said, cocking an eye brow. 

Q let out a small chuckled at her terminology. "Netflix and chill? Hmm...I gotta be honest, I think that's a first time a girl has ever asked me that." he said as he reached down and snatched his hat up off the floor. 

"Well this is your lucky day because I'm a woman" Nova said confidently, giving Q a wink. This time Q was the one who busted out laughing. "You most certainly are...Ha ha, wow. Another first. This is the first time I've ever had a 'woman' make me laugh as hard as you do" Brian said truthfully. 

"Wow seriously? Must be dating the wrong women, I can't picture a guy like you being with a square" Nova snarked. "Square?" Brian questioned, drawing his head back. 

Nova smirked at him. "Another first?" She asked lightly. "You really are something else" Q said, shaking his head as they approached the elevator doors. 

"Your welcome" Nova said flashing her eyes up at Q before stepping into the elevator. Once they were inside, Q pressed the button and said "What time do you want me over?"

"Come over whenever your done here...I'm going straight home so whatever time is good for you."

"OK, sure. We should be done here by 6:30-7ish...Do you want me to stop and get a pizza or something on the way over?"

"Only if it's pineapple" Nova said with a smirk. 

"Only if it's pineapple, got it!" Q said, giving her a small finger salute. 

In that moment, Nova knew that she was going to have to make a small stop at the nearest convenience store on her way home. 

"I'll pick the movie" Nova said as she waited for Q to open the exit doors for her. "Sounds like a plan, do you want me to get you a taxi or something?" Q asked looking around, now that they were outside. "Ohh, no that's okay, I was gonna jump on the subway, there should be another one coming soon."

Q gave Nova a funny look that made her feel weird. "I'll get you a taxi" he said, a little more forceful this time. Before Nova could stop him, he took a step out in the street with his hand in the air. "No lady of mine is going to slum it in some stinky subway, I'll feel much better if you let me get you a cab."

Nova cocked an eye brow at him and said "So I'm your lady now? And FYI, I 'slum it in stinky subways' almost every day! The subway is usually how I get around."

Ignoring the first part, Q responded back "Well not today, especially if I have anything to say about it."

Nova rolled her eyes and decided to let it go as she saw a cab pull up to the curb. Q held the door open for her as she climbed in the back seat, shooting him another look. "Even though this was totally unnecessary, thank you" she said sincerely. "Your welcome, I'll see you later tonight, stay outta trouble you!" He sassed, giving her another wink. 

Nova leaned up to give him one more quick kiss and watched him walk around to the drivers side. Handing the cab driver a few bills that Nova was unable to see, Brian said "Here, make sure this lady gets home safe, there's some extra in there in case she needs to stop anywhere, keep whatever's left over."

Even though Nova had no idea what Q gave the driver, she knew it must have been something pretty generous for the man's eyes to bulge out of their sockets and for him to stutter a 'thank you' in broken English. Nova kept her eyes on Q as the cab pulled away and she gave him a small wave before he was out of sight. 

"Your boyfriend, he really like you...Yes?" The driver asked Nova, as they continued down the road. "I guess so" Nova said, smiling in contempt as she began to think of all the trouble she planned to get into tonight with Mr. Brian Quinn. 

 

(I know this one was short but I promise I'll make it up to you in the next chapter! This one was kind of a transition that I had to get out of the way so I can focus more on the next scene. Thank you for reading if you are still with me and made it this far!)


	13. Abso-fucking-lutely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT ALERT! You have been warned ;)

When Nova arrived home, she quickly got busy tidying the place up to make sure it looked good for when Q came over. Living as a single woman by herself and working two jobs, cleaning her cozy little apartment would get away from her every now and then, deciding there were more important things than keeping up on her space. Granted it wasn't like she was ready to star in an episode of hoarders, but she couldn't say she wasn't guilty of letting the dishes or laundry pile up from time to time. 

To make time pass she gave her place a good scrubbing, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom to what she knew as her mothers standards, and even taking the time to change her sheets and make her bed. She turned on both of her wax warmers in her house and cut a lavender wax cube in half, dropping a piece in each one. 

As she was cleaning, she began to think about everything that had happened at her meeting at TruTV today. She felt excited that she would possibly have a job with them in the future. Every time she reminisced about how much they all liked her work, she would beam inside. It was such a wonderful feeling to be recognized by people whose opinion really mattered and potentially wanted to help get her places.. 

Finally, when Nova felt like her apartment was as good as it was ever going to be for Brian, she made herself a cup of tea and planted herself on her couch. She pulled her feet up to her chest and grabbed the remote, deciding to find something to watch now that she had nothing better to do. 

For the time being, she threw on an old episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 for background noise, and decided to take a small nap before Q came to kill some time. It was now 6PM and she was hoping that Q should be finishing up soon. She dozed off, fantasizing about her future and how much brighter it could be if TruTV found a place for her. 

When Nova woke up it was already dark outside. Jerking up in a panic, she checked her phone to see it was already a quarter after eight and she has two missed calls from Q and a couple text messages. She noticed that the TV had switched to the next episode of her show, making her realize just how long she had been out. 

Q: Sorry, we ran a bit late, I should be there closer to 9

Q: Never mind we finished earlier than I thought. Tried to call but no answer, I'm OTW now

Nova began to dial Q's number and like clockwork, she heard her intercom buzz. Rushing over and hitting the button, she said "Hello?"

"Hey it's Q, I'm here, I'm so sorry I'm late"

"No problem, I'll page you in."

Nova unlocked her door and quickly ran over to her bathroom mirror to check herself out. She fluffed her hair and smoothed out her clothes, wishing that she wore something a little more fancy than an old tank top and a pair of hippy pants. She heard a slow knock on her door and she padded over to let Q in. 

When she opened the door, Brian had a cringing look on his face as he presented her with a pizza. "I am so sorry I'm late, we finished early but stupid Murr made the mistake of telling the board and they roped us into doing a presentation...Please don't be mad" he begged.

Nova blinked and stepped aside to let Q in and said "Oh no, your fine. I ended up falling asleep. It's really no big deal."

Looking relived that Nova wasn't as pissed as he thought she might be, Q stepped in and gradually took a look around as he made his way to the kitchen to set the pizza box down. 

"Huh, so this is where you live" he said, looking around in amusement and setting the pizza box down. "I like it, it's cute."

"Ohh, thanks. I know it's not much but it's home. I wanna change a few things. The curtains are kinda eh and one of these days I'm gonna see if the landlord will let me slap a few coats of paint on the walls" Nova said as she glanced around the place. 

"Hmm...I kinda like it the way it is" Q said, running his hand over a curtain panel.

Looking over to the TV, Brian furrowed his eye brows and when he realized what she had been watching, he said "Mystery Science Theater? Really?" cocking an eye brow in her direction. "Yeah...Hee hee...Its one of my go to things to put on...It makes me laugh" Nova said meekly. 

"Huh...You are just full of surprises aren't you?" Q said, looking at Nova. 

Nova smiled and took a few steps, closing the distance between them. She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. And just like that, the sexual tension that had been growing between them this whole time snapped and before they knew it they had their hands all over each other. Q backed her up into the kitchen counter, arching into her and pressing her close to him as he kissed her back. 

His gentle kisses soon turned urgent and they explored each other as though they were starving. Nova pulled away and looked up at him with lust filled eyes and Q's face slowly lit up into a smile. "If we keep this up, our pizza is gonna get cold" he said, not taking his eyes off hers. "I have an oven" Nova stated. 

Q let out a soft chuckle at how quick she was to answer him and how quick he was to accept it. This girl seemed to have an answer and a come back for just about anything he threw at her it it was starting to become one of the many things he liked about her, knowing that she could keep up with him. 

Brian flicked his eye brows at Nova and then like they were back on each other again, riding the heat of their passion for one another. Nova moaned into his mouth, her hands gliding up to his biceps as she gripped him for dear life, feeling as if her legs could give out any minute. Brian broke their connection to trail little pecks across her jaw to the back of her ear, hitting a sweet spot that made her extremely pliable in his arms. Brian felt his heart beat wildly as he grazed his lips and teeth down the column of her neck, enjoying the little shiver that he brought out of her. 

Q leaned back to look into her eyes and he felt excited and touched at the same time when she returned his stare with a glazed look of desire. She bit down on her lip, causing Q to smile and reach up to touch her face. "That's so hott when you do that...It makes it hard for me to take things slow like I promised myself before I came here" He said with a groan. 

Nova smirked at him with the coyest expression he had ever seen on a woman. "Yeah...Slow is not really working for me right now." She paused for a moment to look down and then back up to his face with devious eyes. "And by the look of things, I don't think it's really working for you either" she declared, batting her eye lashes a few times. 

Hell if he went any slower, Nova didn't think that her heart would be able to withstand the suspense he was putting her through. 

Her words took Q's breath away and for once he felt like he was at a loss of words. "Holy shit...Where have you been all my life?" Q stammered out, and before she could answer, he crashed back into her and started to guide her to where he suspected her bedroom might be. 

Without breaking contact, he managed to blindly navigate her down the hall to her room. He barley took in his surroundings, figuring that he would have time to explore later when they both weren't so needy. He pushed her into the bed until the back of her knees hit the edge and she collapsed before him. Q took another moment to soak her in, laying before him all hot and bothered. 

It was now or never. Q began to feel a little nervous and slightly insecure with her so open and willing before him. She was different than the other girls that he was used to shacking up with. Those girls were just eager fans, desperate for a quick lay by a semi famous celebrity and they never really meant anything to him.

Nova on the other hand, well she was smart, funny in a way that made her able to hold her own around his friends, and had a determination about her career that he had never seen before. She was a take life by the balls kind of girl and hell hath no fury upon whoever decides to get in her way. There was so much more to her than meets the eye and he hoped that she would give him a chance to find out everything that made her tick. 

As if Nova could sense his hesitation, she stood up on her knees and gave him a little kiss of reassurance on his lips and then dipped her forehead into his intimately. She held the sides of his face for a moment as he slowly got the courage to tuck his fingers under the hem of her shirt and lift it up over her head. 

She was now bare before him just in her hippy pants and Q's hands stayed frozen on her sides, gripping her tightly as he fought with himself on the moral dilemma on whether to look down or not. As if she was showing him that it was okay, she reached down and laced her fingers through his and guided his hand up to her breasts, reassuring him that this is what she wanted. 

At last, Brian Quinn looked down and gazed upon her with a look that she would never forget. Feeling more confident with Nova's little push, Q trailed two fingers down her neck, over and between her breasts, across her stomach, and then over the edge of her waistline where her pants met her hips. "How did I get so lucky?" He asked in a breathy voice. 

Nova smiled sweetly and turned her head to the side, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

His lustful gaze made her feel sexy and wanted but it wasn't enough. Nova reached down and pulled his shirt over his head, carelessly throwing it to the side. She took a moment to run her hands up and down his chest, exploring the parts of him that were now exposed. 

He felt soft and warm under her finger tips, she knew that she would enjoy cuddling with him later after they had their fun. He was thick in all the right ways and even though he was not as toned and chiseled as some of the men she had been with, she still found him sexier than all the rest. There was something about him that made her feel safe like a security blanket and she wanted to explore further down. 

Feeling brazen, she reached down and cuffed the bulge in his pants. The breathy noise he made at her contact down there only turned her on even more. Apparently she wasn't the only one.

Q roughly slid his fingers down her body until they were back on her hips. He pushed her back on the bed and hooked his thumbs in her pants, catching her panties in the mix as well, and in one swift motion he dragged them down her legs and off her body. Nova couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her mouth as he playfully climbed on top of her, showering her neck and breasts with light and affectionate kisses. 

He slowly reached down and finally giving Nova what she was silently begging for, he cupped her sex, giving it a little massage before parting her lips and dragging his middle finger across her opening. Nova gasped at the sudden contact, grinding into him and wanting more. She panted as he spread her arousal up to he clit, flicking over her sensitive bud and nearly making her shoot off the bed. His grip on her thigh was the only thing keeping her grounded. 

"Nov...You're so sexy...You don't even know how much you turn me on."

Nova liked the way he shortened her name and the way it rolled off his tongue. Without warning, Brian leaned down and used his strong arms to keep her thighs parted open. To Nova's surprise, he ran his tongue through her slit, keeping a tight grip on her legs as if he knew what effect that would have on her. 

Nova arched herself into him as much as she possibly could, straining for more contact. A tight coil in the pit of her stomach felt like it was going to snap and her legs trembled as he licked his way up to her clit, swirling the tip of his tongue over it until she had tears in her eyes. She let out a deep moan and practically screamed when he began to suck, gradually applying more and more pressure. He continued to torture her, flicking his tongue to explore her sensitivity. 

"...Oh God..." She breathed out, feeling herself getting closer every second he was down there. The coil in her stomach felt like it was pulsing, warning her that she was going to come soon if he didn't stop. 

"Q...I'm going to....I'm going to..." Was all she could say as her thighs shook against his grip, trying to close. She ran out of time and the coil snapped, making her she gasp for air, feeling a rush of adrenaline flood her body. She called out Q's name with a hearty moan as she rode out her orgasm around his face. 

Finally Q pulled away and released one of her legs, staring up at her with an honest look and said "Holy shit that was hott."

Before Nova could respond, he was already pushing a finger inside her, making her body jump back to attention after about five seconds of relaxation. He added in another digit soon after, making Nova suck in a deep breath, feeling full but not quite sated yet. 

She continued to moan and arch into his hand and when he finally decided they had both had enough, he stoop up beside the bed. He knew that if he didn't get his pants off soon, his zipper would for sure leave an imprint on him. He stood there, staring at the beautiful site of her spread out before him like she was, until Nova called out to him. 

"Brian...Please" She said with wide eyes. The look in her eyes gave Q all the confidence he needed as he undid his pants and let them slide to the floor, boxers and all. He stood before her naked and unashamed, looking at her with his brown doe eyes that gave her butterflies. 

To his surprise, Nova sat up and leaned closer to him. She grabbed his member in her hand and let it slide from the base to the tip, very pleased with his size. He continued to let her explore him, his eyes rolling back, making him pant heavily with her gentle yet firm touch. When he felt as if he couldn't take anymore, he softly pushed her back into the mattress and climbed between her legs, his body covering hers from top to bottom. 

His cock rested against her thighs and the mattress, feeling the warmth of her sex on his stomach where he pressed into her. Nova couldn't contain herself as their chests brushed together, her nipples grazing his and she let her head fall back from the sensation of it all. He sucked the peak of her breast into his mouth and made a light circle around it with his tongue, causing her to grip onto his strong arms tighter. 

She reached up and gripped his head with both hands, tangling her fingers through his hair when he did the same movement to her other breast and then raised his head to kiss her lips. He kissed her until she squirmed beneath him, reminding him of her needs. 

Before getting too caught up, Nova paused for a moment and reached up into her nightstand. Opening the drawer while still underneath Q, she pulled out a little foil packet and passed it to him. He looked down to see it was a condom and she said "Safety first" with a wink. Brian smirked and rolled his eyes, opening up the packet and awkwardly sliding the condom on.

He lowered himself back on top of her and stared into her eyes while he reached down with one hand between the both of them, lining himself up with her entrance. She bit her lower lip again, making him grit his teeth from the sight. "You sure you're ready?" He asked once more, knowing perfectly well what her answer would be, but just wanting to draw things out for the fun of it. 

"God! Yes! Q stop teasing me! I'm ready!" Nova cried out in frustration, making Q laugh. He pressed forward and felt his cock twitch from the gasp she let out. She fit around him like a glove and Q knew that it would take all his concentration not to come before he had the chance to fully pleasure her as he wanted to. 

Gazing into her eyes, Brian pushed deep inside her and then held still, letting her get the feel of him. She sucked in a deep breath and as he felt her gradually relax around him, he started off with a lazy and consistent rhythm, pumping into her at a leisurely pace, trying to not get too excited too fast. 

Nova gripped him as if she had no intention of releasing him ever. Q increased his pace, now using his strong hips to slam into her, giving her the roughness that she craved. The noises that were now coming out of the both of them kept each other going, wanting more. He bit her where her jaw bone was and gently held onto her there as he continued to fuck her senseless. 

Q pulled back and snapped his hips into hers. He started a new pace to her breathing and all the cute little noises she made until she was writhing underneath him. Nova gripped the sheets and her knuckles turned white as her second orgasm finally washed over her. Once she calmed and let out a sigh, he slammed into her again before her muscles could fully relax, causing her mouth to open in a silent scream. 

He rocked into her now chasing his own release. She wrapped her legs around his hips, tilting hers to allow him to go deeper into her body, feeling every inch of what he had to offer. It only took a few more thrusts before she felt him pulsate inside her as he came. She ran her nails down his back as the waves of his release flowed through his body. He then rolled off her and they laid next to each other panting, trying to recover from their explosive climaxes. 

After Nova was able to catch her breath and process what was potentially the most powerful release she had ever had, she rolled over and rested her head on Q's chest, cuddling into him. After a moment of listening to his heart beat, she looked up at him with a sweet smile. He looked down at her and returned her smile, giving her the same look that she was was really starting to love. 

"You're so beautiful" He said, grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. "You're just saying that because we just had sex" Nova said with a giggle. "No really, you are. I can't believe I have finally found the balls to say it but you are gorgeous."

Nova rolled her eyes and smiled. 

She scooted closer to Q and wrapped a leg around his. He put his arm around the back of her head and pulled her closer. The began to kiss each other again and after a while Nova pulled away. 

"How about that pizza?" She said, making a move to get up. 

"Oh yeah, I kinda forgot about that...Guess I was a little preoccupied" Q said, wiggling his eye brows at her. "Yeah sorry, I tend to have that effect on men....Come on, I'm starving" she joked, getting out of bed and putting her robe on. 

"Yeah sorry, I tend to have that effect on women" He sassed back. 

Nova giggled and padded her way to the kitchen to throw the pizza in the oven. She opened the box and put two fingers on the top of it and nodded her head when it was ice cold, just as she suspected. She carefully took it out of the box and put it on a pan, sliding it into the oven. She poured a drink for the both of them to share and as she was pouring she heard the TV turn on. 

She walked out into her living room and sure enough, there was Brian Quinn. Sitting on her couch in nothing but his boxers and T shirt, he looked so comfortable it was as if he lived there. Nova couldn't help but smile when she saw him. 

"You're beautiful" She with confidence. He snapped his head in her direction from her words. "You're just saying that because we had sex" He said in a teasing voice, using her own words against her. Nova chuckled and shook her head. 

She cocked her head to the side and looked at him as if she were playing her next set of words in her head. When they finally sounded right to her, she asked him a question that she hadn't asked a man in a very long time. 

"Do you wanna stay over tonight?"

Q smiled as if her question intrigued him and throwing movement in his head, he answered her "Abso-fucking-lutely."


	14. Boyfriends and Work Husbands

((((Sorry this one took me so long, been getting in my busy season at work and its just been hell! Another big thanks to tinyinkstainedbird for giving me the gusto to bang this chapter out! Enjoy!!!)))

 

For the next couple of weeks, Nova and Q found themselves a routine where they could see each other a few times a week. As much as they couldn't get enough of each other, they still had jobs and busy schedules so they made time whenever they could. The TruTV office was closer to Nova's apartment than it was to Staten Island where Q lived so they would usually end up at Nova's place. Nova still had not been over to Q's house.

He would come straight from work and usually bring dinner to her just like he did their first night together, or sometimes Nova would surprise him and cook something. Q always appreciated it because the only time he was able to eat a home cooked meal was when he drove upstate to see his parents or if Joe was having a get together at his place.

And Nova enjoyed cooking for him just as much as he liked eating whatever she made. The only time when she really cooked here in New York was if she made something in the crock pot to last her for a few days. It didn't make sense to cook for just her so she usually resorted to cans of soup or take out for dinner. Growing up, she was the main cook in her family, and she really enjoyed it. She had learned most of her recipes from her mother and Nova always liked to make sure dinner was done before her mom arrived home from work so she didn't have to worry about it. 

Unfortunately, due to their busy schedules, they weren't really open to go out on dates. Even though Nova appreciated any time they could get together, she missed the process of going out and actually dating. She was usually off on weekends and Q's schedule was so sporadic that it was rare he even had a day off. If he wasn't at the office, he was doing podcasts, and if he wasn't doing podcasts he was either with Nova, catching up on things he needed to do around the house or visiting his parents. 

They weren't filming just yet, they still had a few more weeks and Nova couldn't help but wonder how much more their time would diminish when they did. Granted, it didn't take much to make her happy. She was happy to see him when ever she could but it was also nice to be able to go out from time to time. 

Tonight was finally the night where the stars were aligned and Brian Quinn and Nova Brady's schedule finally matched up at a reasonable hour. For once, Brian did not have to stay late, he was able to take off a podcast session, and he was actually in town. For once, Nova did not have to sing, she did not have any late night editing, and she was able to get out of the Outlet early....Or so she thought...

It was approaching 6PM, Nova and Juan were finishing up their last set of patio accessories that were to be featured in their "Summer Heat" edition of their magazine. Nova's boss had been hounding the both of them all day about their deadlines, saying how everything had to be arranged and shot before the end of this weekend so they could bang out the editing process during the upcoming week, with just enough time for the magazine to be ready to send out before June. 

They normally did not work this close to their deadlines, but due to a shipping error they were late receiving their inventory so poor Nova and Juan had to work double time to get everything done that her boss was demanding. Of course if her boss would have jumped in to help, they probably could have been done sooner, but that was how upper management at the Outlet liked to run things. 

"Any plans tonight?" Juan asked as he watched Nova photograph the last of the inventory. "Actually I do! Brian is picking me up at eight tonight and he's gonna take me out" Nova said, quite chipper despite how tired she was. Her and Juan had been at it since 9AM this morning and hadn't really had a break since. 

"Oooh fancy fancy, bought time that boy take you out on a proper date, queens like us need to be wined and dined and shown off to the world like the hott pieces of ass we are" Juan joked, playfully smacking the back of his thigh. Nova snickered and shook her head. "Yeah, I'm excited. Things have just been so chaotic lately, our schedules just never seem to match up" Nova explained. 

"Well that's what you get when you date a super star baby, they always be having people to do and places to see, sometimes you just gotta flaunt it a bit so they wanna make time for you" Juan teased. Nova tutted at him, playfully tossing a curtain sheer his way. 

Just then, Nova's boss, Glenn came strolling in, with an unusual uplifting smile on her face. "Great news! The last half of the shipment arrived!" She said excitedly, prancing across the room. Nova stood up from photographing a set of coasters with her camera still in her hand. 

"Oh great! We can finish it up by tomorrow and be ready to edit first thing Monday morning" Nova said, grinning over at Juan. 

Glenn drew in a sharp breath and said "Wellllll....You see that is just not going to work for me. I'm going to need everything done by the end of today so we can get a jump start on editing. At this rate we are going to be delaying the release by three days and our branch is going to be charged a hefty fine for each day we are late."

Nova blinked and exchanged glances with Juan, not sure if she was hearing her right. "Wait a second, you want the rest of everything done by tonight? It's all the furniture! We still have to inventory to make sure we got everything in that is going to be featured and then put it all together!" Nova exclaimed. 

Glenn shrugged as if it wasn't her problem. "Well, thank goodness for over time right?" 

Nova let out a breath in defeat, feeling her face turn red. "Glenn, I had plans tonight, I cannot stay this late to do this...We weren't expecting this shipment in till tomorrow" Nova argued. 

Glenn's smile quickly washed away from her face. "Look, I told you what I needed done. By all means, do whatever you want to do but I am telling you if this is not done by tonight, I am taking every charge that is unaccounted for out of you next bonus...This is your job, this is what we pay you to do. I told you from the beginning that there will be days like this and you told me you could handle it!" Glenn ordered, holding her hand up when Nova tried to cut in. 

Juan was dead quiet as he looked back and forth between Nova and Glenn. He felt bad for Nova but he knew better than to fire back at Glenn. Truth be told, he was a little afraid of her. Glenn was the kind of woman who had no problem chewing you up and spitting you out if she was told no by anyone underneath her. 

"Now, with that said" Glenn said now with a more refined tone. "Can I trust you to do this, on time, just like I asked?"

Nova drew in a deep breath and gritted her teeth, unable to look at Glenn. "Yes" She choked out, feeling like she was about to cry. Glenn drew her hand back and smiled. "Great, I'll see you Monday morning then." 

And just like that, she waltzed out of the room, leaving a heavy and distorted atmosphere behind. 

"La Puta" Juan cursed out under his breath. "God I hate her!" Nova cried out when she heard Glenn leave the building. "What on Earth makes a person so insensitive! Ugh! If she were to help out every now and then we wouldn't be facing these problems!" 

Juan's eyes softened as he looked at Nova, feeling bad because he knew how much she was looking forward to her date with Brian. "Look Juan, I don't expect you to stay late, I got this. You are more than welcome to go home...I know this is a lot."

"Uh uh, you are my partner, there is no way in hell I am leaving you to do all this by yourself! We started this as a team and we will finish this as a team, I got your back girly!" Juan said with a wink. Nova smiled at his words and thanked him dearly. 

Now she had to break the news to Q...

"No no no no no! God dammit!" Nova cried out, desperately clutching her cell phone in her hand. Juan heard her struggles and peeked his head around the corner. "What is it?" He asked in concern. "It's my phone! It's dead! I can't call Q to tell him not to come. He's going to come all this way here to find out that I can't go out! UGH!" Nova yelled, throwing her phone back down in her purse. "I don't even know his number to call him on the business line!" 

"Damn girl, sounds like you got some bad juju following you around, you know some sage will go a long way for that" Juan said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ahh just my luck" Nova said, slumping her shoulders in defeat. "Well...I guess we better get started...It's gonna be a looong night...."

Nova and Juan got to work opening up all the boxes and dragging all the furniture pieces out in the middle of the show room. There was card board and packing guts every where by the time 8PM rolled around. Right on schedule, Nova heard a knock at the front door. She always kept it locked when she was working this late at night. She looked over at Juan and he gave her a little nod of reassurance as he continued to work, letting Nova deal with her business. She took a deep breath and marched over to the door. 

"Hey" She said when she opened the door and saw Q. She stepped out and closed the door behind her. Brian replied back and leaned in for a kiss. "You ready?" he asked, eager to get their little show on the road. He watched her expression drop and he could see it all over her face something was up. 

"Oookay, what's going on?" Brian asked, cutting to the chase. Nova internally fought with herself to get the words out. She really really wanted to go out with Brian tonight and it was killing her that it wasn't going to happen. She was really starting to grow quite fond of him and she didn't know how much longer he was going to put up with them just not being able to make time for each other to date. She wished things could be different but her hands were tied. 

Without saying anything, she reached up and put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss, just in case this would be their last one. Brian could feel the emotions she was pouring into the kiss and when he pulled away, he frantically searched her eyes for any clues as to what this was all about. 

Nova's eyes started to water as she choked out her words. "I...I...I can't go out with you tonight."

And just like that, as if those sad set of words released the hold she was keeping on her emotions, she let them all out. She retracted her hands from his neck to cover her face and began to sob.

She felt herself shake, feeling a wide range of emotions hit her. Sadness for not being able to follow through with her plans, devastation in fear of loosing Q over this, and anger towards Glenn for ruining everything. 

As much as she liked Q, she was not stupid. She was very well aware of his status and she knew that he could have any girl he wanted. Why he picked her of all people, she still had no idea but she really enjoyed his company whenever she could get it. He could easily find someone who was more available and had more personal time. That was the deep and nagging thought that scared her. 

Concern flooded Q's eyes and he grabbed her shoulders. "Hey hey hey" he said in a panic, dipping down to her height to try to get her to look at him. "Nova, hey...It's alright" He said, rubbing her arms and trying to comfort her. "No it's not...We finally were able to have a night out and my stupid job ruined it...I'm so sorry Q...You have no idea how bad I wanted to go out with you tonight."

"It's okay, there will be other nights, I get it, shit comes up with my work all the time, it's nothing to cry about" Q said softly, pulling her into him. 

Nova sniffled and began to vent. "My stupid boss has been making Juan and I work around the clock to get all this stuff done and she won't lift a finger to help us! She'd rather sit on her ass and act like she's making phone calls all day while we do all the heavy lifting. She told me if everything is not done by the end of tonight, she is going to take the late fees out of my bonus...I'm just so tired, Juan is tired...I feel like what she wants us to do is impossible."

Q held Nova and let her cry out her frustrations in his arms. "Look Q...I really really like you, I do, and I know that it has been hell trying to see each each other with our schedules....I guess what I am trying to say is if this isn't working for you-" Nova began but Q cut her off.

"Uh uh uh, I'm going to stop you right there...I don't care if we only see each other once a week...I don't care if I never get to take you out on a proper date..." He paused to put a gentle hand under her chin and pull her gaze up to his. 

"I ain't going no where. You hear me? You're stuck with me...Most girls I have dated, they don't have lives! They were only with me because they thought I could be their meal ticket to the life styles of the rich and famous, not because we had something special like you and I have. I like that you are busy. I like that you have one hell of a career going for you and that you won't blow it off for anyone, especially me. You have goals and ambitions and far be it from me to stop you. I never want to make you feel like you have to choose between me or your career. That will never be the reason for us not to make it...I know what it's like to finally find your niche in life and to want to fight for it and hold onto it with both hands....Please stop crying."

Nova looked up at him as if she were blind-sided by his words. It was every thing she needed to hear and she realized that she was no longer crying because she was sad. Sniffling again she reached up and hugged him. It felt so good when he wrapped his arms around her and held her close and tight. "I'm just so happy I met you" was all Nova could think to say. 

This whole time she had been thinking about everything her relationship was lacking. She never thought about what they actually had and how much it was worth. Aside from their passion and charisma for each other, they had something that some couples never seem to find. They had an understanding and acceptance of one another. He understood and accepted that she was balls to the wall about her career, and she had an understand and an acceptance that he was just like her about his. 

Maybe they could make it work after all. 

"Thank you for being so wonderful...Truly you are...I would say let's meet up after but I have a feeling we are going to be here all night. We have to build a bunch of furniture and arrange it to be photographed" Nova said, drying her tears. 

"Shit, that really sucks...Do you need me to bring you something to eat?" Q asked considerately. 

"No, thank you but I still have half a peanut butter and jelly in the fridge that I didn't get to, that should tie me over."

"You sure?" Q asked, eyeing her.

"Yeah, thank you. We have a lot of work to do so you're good to go...I'm sorry again about tonight...Hopefully soon we can take a rain check."

They kissed each other once more and said good bye. Nova didn't want to leave Juan alone for too long, feeling bad that she had to step away in the first place. After she shut the door and was out of sight, Q began to walk to his car. He took a few steps and stopped for a moment, turning around and looking back at the Outlet building. 

"...Half a peanut butter and jelly my ass" He muttered to himself as he dug into his pocket for his phone. He quickly scrolled through until he found the number that he wanted to call. After a few rings, they finally picked up.

"Hey Murry...Whatchu up to tonight?" He said in his heavy New York accent. After the response on the other end, Q said "Cool...I know this is going to sound like an odd question, but have you ever gotten anything from Ikea before?"

 

Nova and Juan worked hard for the next two hours. They managed to get all the furniture out of the boxes and throw all the packaging away so they could see what they were working with. They decided to skip the inventory, deciding that there were more important things at hand. They screwed together all of the end tables and they were just getting ready to put together some of the heavier sofa sets when Juan collapsed on the ground. "Oh my Jesus! I don't think I have every worked this hard in my life! I'm exhausted!" He said out of breath, looking up at the ceiling. 

Nova sighed and walked over to him, plopping down on the ground next to him on her back in a huff. "I hear ya Juan Juan, I hear ya...I've had some long days before but this is inhuman...She's lucky I don't report her ass to HR" 

Juan blinked a few times and furrowed his eye brows. Still looking at the ceiling he asked her "What is stopping you?"

Nova paused and took a moment to answer. She let out a breath and responded "Retaliation."

Juan flicked his eye brows as if he understood her predicament and Nova blew a stray hair out of her face. "What I would give for a cheese burger or something right now" Nova whined, wishing she would have taken Q up on his offer to get her food. She didn't want to put him out any more than she had already by making him come all the way here for nothing. 

"Yeah, or even a street dog" Juan replied, feeling his stomach growl along with hers. "We could order take out...This is New York City after all, I'm sure we could find a place that will deliver this late" Nova suggested. After a moment of silence Juan replied "I don't think I have the energy to move right now."

Nova let out another sigh and said "Me either buddy...Me either."

They continued to lay there for a moment longer, head to head, laying face up, hoping that they would catch their second wind soon and get back to work. It was already after 10PM and they still had so much to do. 

All the sudden they heard a bang on the door. They both jolted upright and looked at each other, not sure of what to make of the sudden intrusion. "You expecting anybody?" Nova asked, quirking an eye brow at Juan. "No...You?" he replied, and Nova shook her head. 

Nova got up and cautiously made her way to the door. When she was standing in front of it, she nervously asked "Who is it?" 

"Reinforcements!" A voice called out from the other side.

The voice sounded very familiar....

"Q? Is that you?" Nova asked before she opened the door. She looked out the window and sure enough, there was Brian Quinn....And James Murry?

"What are you guys doing here!" Nova exclaimed, surprised to see Q and even more surprised to see Murr. 

"Well, I figured if you can't come to the party, we might as well bring the party to you!" Q said, throwing his arm around Nova and leaning in for a quick peck on her lips as he juggled a bag in his other hand. Nova's eyes were wide with amazement that Q came back. 

She leaned over to give Murr a welcoming hug and then Juan whipped around the corner. "Oh my goodness! Does my nose deceive me or is that yummy yummy food I smell?!" he beamed excitedly, eyeballing the bags that Q and Murr were holding. 

"We stopped and got Thai food for you guys, I've seen they way you can down a pizza little girl, I knew there was no way in hell that half a peanut butter and jelly would have tied you over" Q said, holding up one of the bags. Before Nova could say anything, Juan clapped his hands together and squealed.

"AHHH my hero! Aren't you sweet?!" He yelled, eagerly taking the bags of food out of Murr and Q's hands.

"Q! You didn't have to do that! I can't believe you came back just to deliver us food! Thank you so much!" Nova cried, feeling completely smitten over such a kind and bold gesture. She held her arms open to embrace both Murr and Q at the same time. 

"Come on Juan! There's room for you too!" Q called over to Juan, pulling him into their group hug. They all laughed at their own silliness and then headed to the break room to grab some plates and utensils. 

"Oh my god! This is perfect! You guys really are life savers! I totally needed this!" Nova exclaimed, digging into some curry. Together they ate, laughed, and socialized. Juan got along very well with Murr and Q and Nova felt so happy watching her boyfriend hitting it off so well with her work husband. Juan's flamboyant demeanor didn't put Q or Murr off one bit and she admired how well they held their own. Juan could be a handful sometimes, especially around other men. 

"Alright, let's see what we are working with here" Q said, rubbing his hands together and heading into the show room after their dinner. "Yeah, we still got a long ways to go, there's still three sofa sets to put together and all those tables and then we have to arrange it according to the floor plan and photograph it" Nova explained, stepping around piles of couch pieces. 

Q took one look around and turned to face Murry. "What do you think, should we start on the heavier stuff or do you want to bang out some of the tables first?" Q asked. Murr took a look around, studying each pile and said "Yeah, Nova and Juan can start on the tables that go with each set, that way we can get quickly get the first set put together and while they are taking pictures we can work on the next set" Murr directed. 

Nova blinked unsure if she was understanding them. "Wait a second...You guys want to help?" Nova questioned with raised eye brows. Q smiled at her and said "That's why we are here."

Nova looked back at Q and a smile slowly spread to her face. How she managed to be lucky enough to find a guy to say and do all the right things, she would never know. She continued to smile at him as Juan ran up and tackled Q in gratitude. "Whoa whoa, easy there boy" Q joked, returning the bear hug that Juan currently had him wrapped up in. 

"Oh please, no offense but you're not my type...." Juan began, trailing his gaze to Murr. "But he might be...Haay" He finished, giving Murr a wink. Right away Murr turned red and awkwardly laughed and Nova and Q busted out laughing from his reaction. 

After they all regained their composure, Nova cranked on some tunes and they got to work. As a team, they put together the first set in less than an hour and using Murry's idea, Nova got started on taking pictures and the guys got busy knocking out the rest of the furniture. 

There was such an uplifting vibe going on amongst the four of them, between the music, the food, and the constant sound of laughter, Nova's sour mood from her boss disappeared. She was truly having fun and ironically she felt like she was having a better time here than she would have if she had been able to go out to dinner with Q like they originally had planned. 

After Nova was done photographing the first set, she set her camera down and sashayed her way over to the guys, moving her hips to the music. "Mmmm I love this song" She cooed, dancing to the rhythm of a catchy and energetic beat. She closed her eyes and did a little twirl as she got lost in her music, Q watching every move she made. 

He sure loved to watch her dance. Every since the first time he saw her dance in the Haunted Star, there was something about the way that she moved that was so graceful and so free. She always looked like she was having a good time and she made everyone around her feel like they were too. 

It was now approaching 2AM and Nova was just finishing up photographing her last set. Murr was passed out on one of the floor couches they put together and Juan was off cleaning up the food garbage from earlier and doing one last sweep to make sure the place was presentable for Glenn on Monday morning. 

Q was sitting on the ground with his elbow propped up on his knee, intently watching Nova work. Even though it was super late (or super early) Brian could tell that Nova still took pride in her work. It was truly something else to watch her do her thing. Q thought it was interesting how detail orientated she was. 

She would really scope out each piece to find the most flattering angle and he could tell that she was pulling deep for creativity by the way she kept changing her camera settings. She really was one of the best he had ever seen, and being in this business he came across many photographers. Even though she was experimenting, she really looked like she knew what she was doing. 

Even though she was still pretty pissed at Glenn for trying to ruin her night, she would never take it out on her work. She still delivered the best of herself that she could, refusing to taint the quality of her photos over Glenn's bitchy attitude. It was just who she was. 

"Alrighty" Nova finally said, clicking her the button on her camera to turn it off. "That's a wrap!" 

"Yaaaaay!" Q cheered as he clapped his hands, causing Murry to stir awake. "Thank you guys so much! You have no idea how much I appreciate your help! I don't think we would would be any where near done by now if it weren't for you." Nova said gratefully. 

"My pleasure, I'm just happy....We could...Help" Murr said while letting out a deep yawn and stretching. "Yeah, there was no way my conscious would let me leave such a pretty girl in distress like that" Q said, standing up. 

Nova batted her eyes at him and gave him a cheeky smile. Q smiled back and walked over to her. They laced their fingers into each others and leaned in for a kiss, but they were interrupted by Juan excitedly clapping his hands. "Yaaaay! We are done bitches!" He hooted as he fist bumped the air. 

Nova giggled and turned back to Q. "Lets get outta here" He said, giving her a mischievous smirk. Nova's smile grew and together they walked out hand in hand as Murr led the way and Juan locked up behind them. 

"Ugh, I thought we were never going to get out of there, you guys really are life savers! Thanks a bunch!" Juan said stretching. "Yeah, I seriously do not know what we would have done without you guys, thank you so much for coming back, it was good seeing you again Murr!" Nova said sweetly. 

"It was good seeing you too, you need to come by the office more often...People still ask about you, you really made an impression" Murr said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Wow seriously? Well that's good to know, maybe I will come by one of these days" Nova said turning to Q. 

"Yeah, we actually start filming in a week, maybe you could come by and hang out on set some time, you too Juan" Q said, extending the offer to Juan as well. "Wow, hanging out on set? Me? Count me in! That sounds so Hollywood!" Juan gushed. 

"Well I hate to be the one to end this but I am exhausted, I think it's time we split ways" Murr spoke up. He really looked tired and it made Nova feel bad that he worked so hard for her. "Okay, well have a good night! Thank you so much again for coming out, I really appreciate all the help!" Nova said thanking Murr again and pulling him in for a hug. 

Murr offered to give Juan a ride home and after many gracious good byes, finally it was just Q and Nova. As usual Q opened the passengers door of his Jeep for Nova to climb in. He gave her knee a little pat before shutting the door and Nova put her seat belt on as he walked around the front to his side. 

Q opened the door and once he was inside, he leaned over the center console that separate his seat from hers and reached up to grip Nova by the back of her head. Before Nova could react his mouth was on hers and he pressed his body as far into hers as he possibly could from that angle. Ravaging her mouth like a horny teenage boy, he held her there and kissed her while his other hand pawed over her body. 

When they finally pulled away, Nova looked at him with stupefied expression. Q smirked back at her and she breathed out "Whoa...What was that?"

"That...That was something that I've been dying to do to you all night...Sorry, I just couldn't help myself" Q said honestly. Nova breathed out, still stunned from the way he just came at her. There was only one thing that she could think to say, after such a powerful and lustful gesture.

"Do you wanna stay the night?"

Q smiled at her before giving her a much gentler kiss and said "I thought you'd never ask..."


	15. First There's Sweet....

Nova was lying back on her couch in her Pajama's while watching on old rerun of one of her favorite shows, legs crossed and wrist deep in a bag of kettle corn. It had been a week since Q and Murr came to her rescue the night she stayed late with Juan at the Outlet and now her and Q were getting ready to spend their last day together tomorrow before he and the Jokers went on tour for two weeks. 

They were planning on spending this night together as well but Q had a big meeting with everyone that he couldn't back out of to prepare for their trip. As bad as Q felt, Nova understood and assured him it was okay multiple times and that she would see him tomorrow and spend the day together. 

He was leaving first thing Monday morning so Q had the idea to get up early on Sunday, do breakfast somewhere, and then head out to The Bronx Zoo. Of course Nova squealed in delight at this plan. She really had a deep love for animals and she had never been to The Bronx Zoo before, but she had always wanted to go. Right away she began to fantasize about all the pictures she would be able to take. 

Since Nova was by herself tonight, she stuck a towel under the door and did what she always did whenever she was by herself after a long week on a Saturday night. She busted out her snacks, poured herself a glass of wine, and lit up a bowl of the finest Colorado greens. 

Nova usually saved her stash for nights just like these. She rarely smoked on other occasions, unless she was feeling stressed or if it was being offered to her, so she didn't consider herself a pot head by any means but it was nice to allow herself a little indulgence from time to time. 

She hadn't quite mentioned it to Q yet, not because she felt like she had anything to hide but because the subject had never come up between the two of them. Not that she was in any rush to tell him but she often wondered how he would react and if he was a part-taker himself. Maybe somethings were better kept behind towel covered doors. 

Nova had just finished her second round of the night when she heard someone knock at her door. She jumped up and looked at the time, it was just a little after 10. Right away she turned the TV off and stayed still, jumping again at the next series of knocks. She silently prayed that whoever was at the door would just go away. 

Right away her paranoia kicked in and she got scared that the towel under the door wasn't enough to keep the smell locked in and maybe it was an angry neighbor pounding at her door. Or worse....What if it was the cops?

"Shit" Nova mentally cursed at herself. She slowly made a move to quietly get up and creep towards the peephole in the door to see who it was. If it was one of the girls they would have called or texted and she had no missed messages on her phone. On her way over to the door, they knocked again. 

"Hey Nova! It's Q...Open up."

"SHIT!" Nova hissed in a harsh whisper, hunching over and putting her hands up to her head in fret. She quickly shuffled to the door and in a jittery voice she said "Uhh...Just a minute!", with forced enthusiasm.

She ran back to the couch, throwing herself over it to grab her ashtray from her end table and running back put it in her safe spot, Nova caught her knee on the corner of the coffee table in the process. "Ow! Fuck!" She cried out in pain, hobbling on one foot.

"Nova? You OK in there?" Q hollered from the other side of the door, knocking again. He was starting to get nervous.

"I'm fine! be there in a second!" Nova yelled out, frantically running around her apartment while soaking it in Febreze.

What he was doing at her door, she had no idea! Last they talked, he wasn't getting out until 10PM and then he still had to go home and pack so that they could spend all day together tomorrow. 

Nova cringed as she set the bottle down, hoping that would be enough to hide the evidence. She rushed back to the door and stopped to take a deep breath and steady herself. She threw on a fake smile and opened the door. 

"Hey! What are you doing here? I thought we weren't seeing each other tonight!" Nova exclaimed in a high pitched voice as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "Yeah I wanted to surprise you, I was able to get out earl-" Q happily began, but then abruptly stopped after she kissed him. 

Nova looked at him with wide eyes and shut the door, trying to keep her covering smile on her face. "What?" She asked, playing dumb. He leaned in and kissed her again, paused for a moment to deeply inhale and kissed her again, and again, and again.

"MmmmmMmm" He moaned as he continued to taste her, wrapping his arms her. Nova was getting the sense that he knew what was up. "How is this even possible?" He asked as he continued to kiss her while backing up and pinning her to the wall. She couldn't escape his larger frame. He was like a cat attracted to cat nip....Her cat nip.

"What?" Nova giggled, looking up at him through glossy eyes. 

Brian stared into her and smirked, shaking his head. "You are high as the Empire State building sweet heart." 

Even in her sticky situation, his New York accent was still a turn on!

Nova's expression dropped and the only thing that she could think to say, in a weak voice, was "No I'm not."

"Uh uh, don't you try to B.S. me, takes a stoner to know a stoner, I could smell it before I walked into this room. I thought it was from another apartment, never thought it would be from my sweet, innocent little angel" Brian said in sarcasm, chuckling from the look on her face. 

Nova's eyes went wide and she put a hand over her mouth and squeaked when he labeled her as a "stoner".

"I am not a stoner! I only smoke occasionally!" She defended herself, dropping her facade. "Hahahaha! I fucking knew it!" Q boasted energetically. "This is freaking cool! I have never been with a girl who smoked before!" 

Nova stayed quiet, not knowing what to make of him being so accepting. "Wait...So it doesn't bother you?" Nova asked, surprised by his reaction. "NO! Not at all! I'm fact I'm thrilled! I've always had to hide it in past relationships, I think it's great that you smoke! I feel like everyone should, you gotta admit the world would probably be a better place" Q went on. 

Nova took a deep breath and smiled. "Wow...Uhh well then...Wanna get high?" Nova asked, feeling more secure with him being so open about it. "Uhhh does a frog bump it's ass when it hops? Fuck yeah I do! Let's go blaze it up!" Brian said excitedly as he took his coat off and walked over to the couch. Nova looked at him and shrugged, figuring what the hell?

She padded over into her room and pulled out her stash. Since it was a special occasion she decided to break out one of her fancier smoking apparatuses to make things more special. When she came back in the living room, she sat criss cross on the couch and prepared for their good time. Brian watched her, fixated on her movements. He could tell by the way she was packing it that she was no spring chicken.

"Wow, that's a cool piece" Brian admired, looking at the details on the glass. "Ohh thanks, this was actually a 21st birthday present that my parents gave me."

Brian quirked an eye brow, surprised that her parents were smokers too and so open about it to give their daughter a bong for her birthday. "Wow No shit? So your parents smoke too?"

"Mmmhmm, I think you would like my parents, all my friends do, they are just big hippies that loved the 70's and the 80's. My mom was a preppy disco girl and my dad was kind of a burn out. Some how they fell in love" Nova said simply, looking up at Q when she said the word love. 

"Wow, they sound awesome...I think my mother would flip shit if she knew I smoked. She's a heavy catholic who frowns upon any kind of drug use, she thinks it's all a sin, which yeah, she might have somethin' there" Q said moving his head from side to side in conversation. 

Nova looked at him and blinked. It had been the first time he had mentioned his mother since they had started dating. "Do you think your mom would like me?" Nova asked without really thinking about her question. Q hesitated as the idea of Nova meeting his mother crossed his mind. Before it Nova could take notice, he excitedly said "Of course! What's not to like? I think she would find you adorable and I could see you two definitely being friends."

Nova smiled at the thought. Right away she got a vision of her and what she presumed Q's mother looked like, both wearing matching aprons and baking in this kitchen, having fun and laughing with flour on their noses. She looked forward to the day when they were at the meeting of the parents stage. It would make things feel all that much real to her. 

"Well, here we go...Guest's first?" Nova asked, offering it to him. "Sure" Q replied. He took the bong from her and fumbled with it for a second with it being something new in his hands. Like a natural, he drew in a long hit and held it in for a few seconds, breathing it out without choking on it. "Ohh man that's some good shit" He said, relaxing into the couch and casually handing it back to her. 

"Yeah, it does the job" Nova said as she positioned the glass to her lips and took a hit. Q watched her with fascination. "God that is so hott watching you do that" He said with a grin. Nova flashed her eyes up to meet his and gave him a smirk as she drew in the smoke. As she held it in she handed it back to him and scooted over, positioning her legs over his lap. 

Together they took turns passing the bong back and forth until they cleared it. Nova's apartment was looking hazy and she turned to look into his blood shot eyes. He looked back at her and she just cracked up laughing. Her laugh was obnoxious sounding and in turn, Q couldn't keep a straight face and broke out into a snicker. 

It felt good for Nova to have someone else to indulge with. The only other people in her group of friends that smoked was Robin, but it was nice to have a little diversity every now and then. 

Nova reached over to the coffee table and grabbed her phone. Q studied her for a moment in curiosity, before asking her what she was doing. "I need music when I smoke, TV just doesn't do it for me" She said as she dug through for the right play list. "Seriously? God there is nothing better than smoking out and watching something hilarious like Rick and Morty or anything Kevin Smith related."

Nova smirked without breaking her eyes away from her phone. "You'll see" She said as if she knew what she was talking about. "Ah! Here we go!"

All the sudden the song "Crimson and Clover" came on and Nova pulled her legs away from Q to stand up. Q watched her as she went around shutting off all the lights in the house. "What are you doing?" Q asked, feeling puzzled. Nova just smirked and continued darkening the place, light by light. She then went over to a switch by her kitchen and turned to look at Q. "Ready?" She asked with a confident smile. Before Q could answer, she flipped the switch and what he saw took his breath away. 

That one switch turned on three black lights that were all powered by the same surge protector and they made her apartment light up brighter than the Manhattan sky. The walls were covered in invisible Glow stars, planets, and butterflies and mushrooms that looked like they were hand painted but absolutely invisible during the day. All of her wall posters looked vibrant and busy. The black lights brought out so much color in her little apartment, Q felt like he was at a rave party in Alice in Wonderland. 

"Wow" He breathed out, starry eyed as he took in the beautiful lighting. "That's fucking cool!" 

"Told ya!" Nova sneered as she walked back over to the couch and sat back in her spot. "This is like a stoner's wonderland, this all must have take quite a bit of time."

"Yeah well, I got the black lights at a close out sale and the posters I have been collecting since I came here. The paints were another gift from my parents, They knew how much I like things that glow and I'm all about DIY things so it was a nice house warming present."

"Hmm" Q mumbled as he continued to look around and admire all of the art work. The lights made everything have a purple haze and he didn't know if it was because he was stoned or what but he couldn't seem to stop looking at everything. The crazy part was that in the day time, without the black lights, you wouldn't even know that it all looked like this. 

They continued to listen to slow and mellow tunes as they just enjoyed each others company. It was nice to just sit and take a moment to be still with the one you cared about in such a busy city. It was the equivalent of stopping to smell the roses, in the busy world of New York City.. 

Nova was pressed up against Q, lightly singing to the next song when she felt his finger tips ride up the hem of her tank top. His rough fingers against her skin tickled her, but felt good at the same time. She could tell that he was feeling just as affectionate as she was.

After Nova couldn't take his light touches anymore, she flipped herself around and sat on his lap. She dipped down and gently grabbed the sides of his scruffy face with both hands, leaning in to caress his lips with a few soft pecks. They continued to lightly kiss each other with Q running his hands up and down her back romantically, just living in the moment. 

Nova's senses felt heightened and every touch and every caress felt so good, she wanted to feel more. She started to grind her hips into his, hoping that he would take a hint as to where she wanted this to go. Like a charm, he did! And it didn't take long for her to feel the hard lines of his erection through the seem of his pants. 

Nova moaned into Q's mouth, trying to deepen their kiss and her hips continued to roll into his in search of more friction. All of this made Q feel like he was a teenager again. All the sudden Nova sat up and gave Q a mischievous smirk. Q gave her a look of interest as she slowly bent down to whisper in his ear "I feel like dancing."

Before Q could register her words, she climbed off of Q's lap and stood between his knees, seductively swaying her hips back and forth in his face. "Oh come on Nova, don't be a tease" Brian growled as he reached up to pinch her ass. "Uh uh uh" Nova sassed, turning around to wave a finger in his face. "Just watch."

Q reluctantly settled back into the couch while Nova cranked up her tunes and continued to move her body to the music. She was in her own vivid world, running her hands through her long hair and down the sides of her body, completely mesmerized by her music. Q was mesmerized too, but it wasn't from the music.

She turned around to face away from him, her pajama shorts hiking up her thighs with every movement. She pushed her backside into him to a dreamy techno beat and leaned back, arching her shoulders into Q's chest so he had the perfect view of her breasts. She was making it very difficult for him to behave himself and he couldn't resist running his hands up and down her curvy body. He was having flash backs of the first time she danced for him at The Star. Nova reached up and wrapped her arm up around his neck, tickling his sweet spot that she has came to know underneath his ear, triggering goosebumps and shivers all throughout his body. 

Just when he thought he was going to explode, she pulled away from him, standing back up and facing him. She looked down at him with dreamy eyes and said "Dance with me."

That was enough to break Q from the trance that she was beginning to hold on him. "...Ohh no...You don't want me to do that...You were doing a great job with out me." he said nervously.

"Come on! Dance with me! You have never danced with me!" Nova whined, being dramatic and tugging at his hands to get him to stand up. 

"Ohh alright alright" Q groaned, deciding to give in. He couldn't resist the little pout she did. He stood up and awkwardly held her hands out to the side and leaned in close to her. Nova grabbed his hands and place them on her hips, directing him to what he needed to do, and she stepped closer to him, putting her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together. 

Even though Q felt uncomfortable, with her help he was able to find a steady rhythm and with it just being the two of them, he relaxed and enjoyed the special moment they were having. He hated dancing, he was convinced he was born with two left feet, but dancing with Nova in the privacy of her own apartment wasn't so bad, especially being under the influence.

Every now and then she would place his hand on her lower back and lead him into doing a slow and sensual dip, in which she would press her pelvis against his, being the little tease that she was. 

Between the black lights, the music, and the waves from their high, Q was feeling very romantic. She was so cool and so sexy, and she got along great with his friends! What more could he have asked for? He moved his head down to her shoulders and started off with gentle kisses to her neck. Gentle kisses that grew firm, and then rough. 

He pulled at her skin with his teeth as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Now it was her turn to feel goosebumps. Nova was so turned on, she didn't care that he was leaving his mark on her. Nothing that a little make up wouldn't cure for the next few days, it was worth it to feel everything she was feeling right now with him. 

Nova gasped and let out a deep moan when he gradually applied pressure. "Ohh man...Keep making that sound" Q breathed before sinking his teeth into her again. Nova smiled and let out another moan for his pleasure. He growled in her ear and Nova flinched from the wave of tingles that he sent through her body. 

"Wanna take this party to the bedroom?" Nova suggested as she felt the heat turn up another notch. "Mmm Nope...I think this party is just fine...Right here." Brian grunted through kisses. Before Nova could fully register his words, Q reached down and in one motion picked her up and spun her around, practically tackling her into the couch. Nova screamed in surprise and then laughed at the sound that came out of her mouth. 

They were seriously about to do it on her couch! The couch that she bought for 200$ from the outlet magazine she worked for as a house warming present to herself with her first paycheck she received. Nova didn't quite know how she felt about that, until all rational thought left her brain when Q climbed on top of her, one hand supporting the back of her head and the other creeping down her panties.

She wiggled out of the confines of her tank top, stretching it over her head and her and tossed it off the side of the couch. Right away Q was on her breasts, moving down her her now exposed and hard nipples. Nova panted and watched him through hooded eyes as he slowly closed his mouth over the peak of one of her breasts. She let out a soft sigh when he flicked his tongue around her nipple as he fondled the other one with his hand. 

Nova couldn't take it anymore. She shimmied out from underneath him and guided him into a standing position with her. With no hesitation she undid his pants and jerked them to the floor. Q chuckled at her forwardness as she pushed him back onto the couch with force and straddled his lap, grinding her center into him. His hands were all over her back, touching her in the right places, encouraging more friction. 

Q's hand traveled from her back, to her stomach, to her lower belly, and then even lower than that. He ran his hand over her soft folds and then rubbed deeper into her core. Nova let out a shaky breath and nuzzled up against Q's face. It didn't take long for his fingers to be soaked with her need for him. 

Now Q was the one who could no longer contain himself. He arched his back, keeping one hand on Nova and using his other to pull down his boxers down to his mid thigh. Nova's hand trailed down his chest feeling the soft hair that dusted his front, while her other hand gripped the back of his head, running her fingers through his tousled hair.

Finally they lined their bodies up with each others and Nova could feel his hardness brush up against her inner thigh. Nova opened her eyes to be met by Q's face. His sweet eyes looked so loving and almost fragile, they were reflecting words that they hadn't quite spoken to each other just yet. Nova wished that she could have kept that image of him locked in her mind forever. He was so beautiful.

With her knees on either side of him, Nova slowly sank down and felt him at her entrance. They both gasped softly at first, and then she began to move her hips, testing the feeling. Brian moaned low and tightly gripped her hips with his hands in an attempt to guide her movements. The entire time their eyes were locked as he slid deeper inside, and then she rose up a bit. 

Together they continued the motions, as their soft, labored breaths seemed to echo off the walls all around. Nova became completely lost in the sensation—in him. It was desperate, yet slow. Maybe the two of them were making love, but in the moment neither cared.

She just didn't want him to let her go.

Nova had become so caught up in pleasure that she hadn't realized he was slowing down their movements. Suddenly, Q pulled Nova flat against his chest. She placed her hands on top of his shoulders for support as he began to thrust up, keeping her propped up in his lap as he leaned back against the headboard. She could tell he was struggling to hold himself up, but he seemed dead-set on keeping the close-knit position.

"...Quuu..." Nova moaned, throwing her head back as they rocked together. His thrusts became harder as his name escaping her lips only seemed to encourage him more. His hands gripped her ass, pulling her even closer towards him, and goosebumps spread across her flushed skin as he started nipping at her neck.

Nova could feel her muscles start to clench around him. Burying her hands into the back of his hair, she guided his head towards hers and they shared an intense kiss. She could feel the stubble of his beard scratch her face, and she melted into the delicious burning sensation.

The rhythm was slow, yet powerful—a chaotic repetition that was a result of delaying the inevitable.

It was raw, passionate and so very, very real.

Nova buried her face into the side of Brian's neck as her cheeks heated up, and she felt her high grow with each thrust. She didn't want it to end, but couldn't fight the warmth stirring inside of her. 

When the warm wave of arousal finally rushed through her, Nova cried out in bliss. Brian pulled her flush against his body and held her there.

And then everything went still. 

She knew they had both reached their state of ecstasy, but neither one moved. Nova continued to keep her face pressed into him, hearing the sound of his pounding heartbeat. It felt dreamlike, and she didn't want to wake up.

Coming down from the high, she eventually sat up to look at Q and found him gazing into her face with so much desire that any self doubt she had washed away in an instant.

He smiled up at her and she leaned into him to press another kiss against his lips. He returned it eagerly, running his tongue against hers and then broke away to look at her again.

"Wow...That was..." Q started, looking wildly at her. "Yeah, I know" Nova finished for him. She leaned down to kiss his forehead and then looked into his eyes again. He looked back at her and wiggled his eye brows, making her giggle. "Ready to go to bed now?" She asked, looking at the time. It was almost midnight and the two of them had a long day ahead of them. 

"Sure" Q said, patting the side of Nova's leg, signaling that he was ready to stand. They each took one more hit and then headed off to the bedroom. "I'll meet ya in there, I gotta take a wizz first" Q said, breaking away from her to head into the bathroom. Nova blinked at his crudeness but shrugged and headed to bed. 

She left the light on and threw a big sleep shirt over herself and crawled into bed. She thought about everything that just transpired between them and felt giddy at her emotions that bubbled up. She remembered the look in his eyes as they made love.

...Made love?

Had that really been what they did? She couldn't tell if it was the pot or her emotions getting the better of her, but this sex felt way different than their usual go. It felt intense and passionate, and something in her feelings for Q had changed. Maybe she really was falling in love with him. The thought was scary yet liberating at the same time. Like she was finally admitting it to herself. She loved Q.... And she was terrified! 

His lingering absence temporarily shook these thoughts out of her mind when she looked at the digital clock on her night stand. He had been gone for over five minutes. "What the hell is he doing in there?" Nova thought, as she tossed the covers off of her bare legs. She quietly walked out of her bedroom, down the hall to the bathroom. 

It was dark and the door was wide open. She peered inside and he was no where to be found. Nova furrowed her brows and then her eyes popped open when she heard a thud in the kitchen. "...Q?" Nova whispered cautiously, unsure of why she was feeling jumpy all the sudden. The only light on in her apartment was the light in her bedroom. 

She tip toed into the kitchen and flipped on the light. She let out a little gasp and she tried to contain her laughter from what she saw.

There was Mr. Brian Quinn, wrist deep in a tub of her chocolate ice cream that she kept in the back of the freezer in case of emergencies. He had a drop of chocolate smeared on the side of his mouth, clumping a few beard hairs together. Nova's hand went to her mouth to stifle her laugh. 

Q looked like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His eyes went wide and he immediately felt ashamed. One his way back from the bathroom, he got the sudden urge to snack and before he could reason with himself, his feet were leading him into the kitchen against his will.

Q stuttered a moment and looked down at the ice cream and back to Nova's laughter filled eyes. Finally he sighed in defeat, shrugging he said "You know what? This is exactly what it looks like" before proudly taking another bite of ice cream.


	16. ....Then There's Sour...

The moment when the ticket clerk at The Bronx Zoo gave Nova the okay to head in, Nova's feet carried her into the beautiful front courtyard, powered by her sense of wonder. She didn't even realize that she had left Brian stuck at the front ticket counter, digging through his jean pockets, trying to find his ticket so he could join her. 

Nova slowly spun around, breathless by all the nature around her. It had been so long since she had seen this much of it, living in the city as long as she had been. It made her realize how much she missed it. Just the smell of the fresh air without typical city pollutants was enough to make her miss her home town to where an escape from the rural boundaries was no longer than a quick drive away. Never she thought she would see the day where she would find such an appreciation for such small blessings. 

Right away she took took her lens cap off her camera and crouched down to zoom in on an exotic flower that she had never seen before. She didn't even notice when Brian came to her side. 

"Oh there you are...For a minute there I thought you were ditching me...For a flower?" Q stated, looking down at her in question. Nova snapped off a few more pictures and straightened up with a smile.

"It is not just any flower, it is a Blue Orchid. One of the rarest Orchid's in the world! According to the description it says that it is rare to find a real blue orchid. All the blue orchids you see in stores are usually dyed and not authentic. Even though Orchids are considered to be very adaptable, these ones require full sunlight and the richest of soil's to stay healthy and survive."

"Hmm...Interesting. I'll be sure to let the next Blue Orchid I see in a store know that he is not fooling anyone" Brian replied with a joke, not having anything else to contribute to her lesson. Nova giggled and rolled her eyes. "It says that back in the Victorian days that to be given an Orchid as a gift was one of the highest forms of showing respect, they symbolize great beauty, decadence, and strength." Nova added simply. 

"Really? I always thought that flowers were just to say "I'm sorry, I fucked up, here's a house plant, please don't be mad at me" when you are in a pickle with someone." Q teased. "Oh Q!" Nova replied, rolling her eyes again and giving his arm a playful smack. Even though she was falling for him, he could be quite obtuse at times. 

Brian smirked at her and said "Come on, lets go find some animals."

They walked over to a billboard that had some park maps stacked neatly in front of it and Q picked one up. Together they scouted out which habitat they wanted to visit first.

"OOO! Let's go visit the primates first!" Nova said excitedly. Even though turtles were in fact her favorite animal, Nova loved taking pictures of monkeys and apes. They always portrayed the most beautiful emotions and showed far more personality than most other animals. 

"Okay, as long as I don't get pegged with monkey turds, I am okay with that" Q joked again. Together, hand in hand, they walked in the direction of where the primates section was.

It was a beautiful day to be out at the zoo with Q and Nova was quite enjoying herself. He kept narrating what he presumed the monkeys were thinking and Nova could not stop laughing. He was so funny, it was as if Nova couldn't wait to hear what he would say next.

Q left his hat and sunglasses on the whole time to avoid being recognized but every now and then someone would still come up to him and compliment him on how much they loved the show. 

Q would feel a mild annoyance when this happened because he just wanted to spend time with Nova and see the world through her eyes. Every time she would become fixated on either a plant or an animal, he would become fixated on her, mostly in intrigement. She would show interest and get very excited over things that he honestly wouldn't have given a rat's ass about before, but seeing it though her eyes gave him a new appreciation. 

They spent almost an hour just in the primate section. Nova took dozens of pictures of every single monkey she could find. Before they left her apartment this morning, he teased her when he saw her put a handful of memory cards for her camera in her bag, thinking there was no way that she would need that many. Now he was realizing that maybe she did after all. 

"Wow look at the pattern of the vines on that tree!"

"Oh look at his eyes! He is so expressive!"

"Look at this shot I just got!"

"His fur color is gorgeous!" 

"Whoa! Look at this bug!"

These are just a few of the phrases Brian Quinn kept hearing all day from Nova, and it never got old. He was never going to look at a plant or animal the same way again without hearing Nova's gushing voice in his head. She found something to appreciate in just about everything that crossed her path. It was actually quite refreshing and he noticed as the day went on that she was actually training his eyes to spot out the little details in things that he would normally only give a glance at and move on. 

Nova was completely in her own world. In this moment, life outside this zoo might as well not have existed. Between being with Q, having her camera in her hands and surrounded by amazing things to photograph was everything Nova needed right now. She knew that she would have to come back and revisit this place. Even if it was over an hour away, this might just be her new 'happy place'. 

As Nova and Q walked into their next exhibit, she looked up at Q and though about her new found feelings for him from last night. She didn't know why, but she was afraid of her feelings that were starting to grow for him. She had always liked him. She had always thought he was cute, always thought he was funny. She viewed him as kind and accepting, considering that she was no one of consequence and he was clearly a celebrity and he still hung around her. 

But now there was something else there. Something that felt warmer than before. Every time she looked at him, it was like she had to tear her eyes away. Her heart would swell and skip a beat every time he laughed or smiled at her. She didn't know if she was quite ready, or if they were quite ready for her to explore that feeling yet. It still felt too soon and it was frustrating that she couldn't help to feel this way every time she stared into his sweet brown eyes. It made her want to scream.

Brian and Nova stepped into a deep sea aquarium. When they walked in they were surrounded by various sea creatures in a replica of what their ocean habitat looked like. There were tiger sharks, sting rays, turtles, and all kinda of little fish swimming around them. The exhibit was 360 so there was even fish swimming above their heads.

"Wow! This is so cool!" Nova breathed as she looked around. "Yeah, this is nuts!" Brian replied as he arched his head to look up. For once Nova refrained from taking pictures. It was hard to get a clear shot through the glass and she didn't want to use her flash and scare the fish. 

She took one simple photo from the front entrance just to remember the moment and then put her lens cap on and for once, enjoyed the scenery without her face in the camera. Q used this to his advantage and stood behind her and wrapped his arms over her shoulders. Nova smiled as they both observed the beautiful exhibit. 

"Wow look at that one!" Nova called out, pointing to a brightly colored fish that swam by. Before Q could make a comment, a huge shark swam over their heads, grabbing both of their attention. Nova turned her body to follow it and she was now facing Q.

"Holy sharkzilla!" Q said dramatically as his eyes followed the shark throughout the habitat. After the Shark swam away, he turned back around to see that Nova was facing him. 

She smiled brightly and Q couldn't help but reach up to grab her face and kiss her. He had been wanting to do this all day and now that she didn't have her camera blocking him, he was able to take full advantage. Luckily they were pretty much alone in the exhibit. 

He moved his hand to lace in the back of Nova's hair and backed her up into the wall of the tank. Nova flinched as she felt the cool glass touch a small portion of exposed skin and she leaned into Brian's touch. Butterflies invaded her stomach at the romance of it all. 

After a moment, Nova pulled away, bringing her arms up to pop the hat off his head and rested her arms on his shoulders, playing with the back of his hair with her free hand. This was something she always did when she was feeling flirty with him. Plus he had the nicest hair to play with.

Brian smiled at her again and she swore she saw the very emotion that she had been fighting this whole time reflecting back at her through his eyes. 

Nova breathed out and whispered "I love..." before she had a chance to control herself. It just came out of her, like her body decided that it was sick of her pussy footing around her emotions and it forced her to just go with it. Luckily she was able to regain control before she said the next word...

Brian crinkled his face, not sure if he heard her right. "What?" He asked, as he leaned in to hear her better. Nova panicked.

"I love...Your hair like this" She blurted out with a quick save. Then to draw his attention from what she almost actually said, she roughly messed up his hair so it was sticking up and all in his face. 

Brian chuckled and stepped away from her, pulling his hat back from her hand. "Well I love your hair like this" He joked, this time taking both his hands and doing the same thing to her that she did to him. Nova squealed and backed away out of his grasp. "Qqqqqq!" She whined, pulling her hair out of its messy pony tail and redoing it. 

Brian laughed at her again and Nova shot him a playful glare. "Come on Cousin It, let's go catch the shark feeding" Q teased before grabbing her hand and leading the way.

The rest of the day was amazing. Nova saw so much and took so many pictures, she couldn't wait to get home and play around with them in her computer. She truly loved animals and coming to a place like this while getting to share the experience with Brian was truly the best date she had ever been on. He sure knew how to pull out all the stops and make a girl feel special. 

Towards the end of their day, they were feeling a little tired so Brian came up with the idea to go get ice cream and sit and watch the penguins play. Of course, Nova was 100% on board with that idea and now they were sitting on a ledge with their ice cream cones watching cute little penguins jumping in and out of the water. 

Nova went on and on about all her favorites through out the day and Brian sat there intently listening to every word. Every now and then Brian would shift uncomfortably and Nova eyed him. She had a feeling that something was on his mind and it was starting to make her anxious. At one point she asked him if he was really even listening to her.

"What? Am I boring you?" Nova asked, as she watched his eyes drift from hers for the third time. "No, no no no. You are not boring me sweetie...It's just that...Ah" Brian began, and then bit his lower lip and turned to the side.

This peaked Nova's attention and she started frantically asking him what, while annoyingly poking him in the arm. Brian laughed and swatted her away. "Ahh...I...I was going to wait to tell you when we got back to your place, but I don't know how much longer I can hold it in" Brian confessed.

Nova quirked an eyebrow at him and said "Okay? Well now you have to tell me. What is it!?"

Brian looked at her with a painful smile and took a deep breath. "Okay okay, I wanted to wait to tell you this but since you dragged it outta me ya little brat, I'll tell ya" He began sarcastically. 

Nova starred at him and blinked, waiting for him to tell her. 

"Well...As you know, we leave for our tour tomorrow and I had to pull a few strings but" Q started off.

He was driving Nova crazy!

"I managed to book you a seat on the flight. I want you to go on tour with us" Q finished proudly.

Nova blinked a few times, registering the information that he just gave her. "Wait, what?" Nova asked, scrunching her face as if she was not sure if she heard him right. 

"I booked you a seat on our flight! It's all taken care of and everything!" Brian said excitedly. 

Nova didn't say anything at first. Brian was still waiting for a reaction and Nova clammed up. "Brian...I would love to go on tour with you but I can't, I still have a full time job. I can't just take off and leave like this last minute, Glenn would fire me for sure."

She felt horrible that she had to say no to such an opportunity and even worse when she saw the look on Brian's face. At the same time, she felt annoyed that he didn't ask her before hand, before he laid out the money to book her flight, and he just assumed that she would be free to join him. She didn't know what he was thinking or if he was thinking at all. 

"Nova, I'm asking you to go on tour with us, not to your own public execution" Brian said with a nervous smile. Nova shook her head.

"Brian, you are not hearing me! I have a full time job! I can't just up and leave on the spur of the moment, I have nothing else here. I will lose my job and then I won't be able to pay my bills, and then I'll be forced to move back home or just be homeless" Nova argued. 

"Well, maybe it is time you switch jobs. Pete seemed pretty interested in you. And he sure as shit would treat you way better then Glenn does. I'm sure he could find something for you to do at the network if I talked to him." Brian said, trying to sway Nova. 

Nova was speechless. In the back of her mind, she knew Brian was just trying to help but this was her job he was talking about. Her passion. Her dreams. Sure Glenn was a bitch to work for but she was still doing what she loved most and doing what she came here to do. She was making it as a photographer in New York City. How many photographers were able to say that? Brian just wasn't getting it. 

And it was all something that she did, on her own. She had no one to thank for all her success but herself and her own drive and she was proud of it. Proud of herself for making it all happen. If she followed along with Brian's plan, she would have no clue what she would be doing for the network and it would all be thanks to Brian. It was too early in their relationship for Nova to let him have that role in her life. 

Nova became quiet and as his words sank in, she gritted her teeth. "Brian, I'm sorry but the answer is no. You really should have asked me about all of this before you just sprang it on me last minute. As for me working with you at the network, I'm sorry but I cannot do that either" Nova said firmly.

Nova studied Brian's face and she saw the hopeful gleam of her potentially going with him on tour leave his eyes and be replaced by a look she had never seen before. 

"So that's it huh, you are just going to work at your job photographing over-priced furniture, barely making ends meet, and taking orders from someone who does not have the slightest bit of respect for you forever? That's really your idea of 'making it'?"

Nova's eyes went wide from the shock of his words. Part of her knew what he was saying wasn't 100% fabricated, but the anger that was washing over her pushed that realization out of her mind. How dare he...

"Oh, I'm sorry I am not some big celebrity that gets everything handed to me and I actually have to work for a living and follow through with my responsibilities. I'm sorry I cannot just take off on the fly and drop my life so I can follow you around on tour like some brainless groupie! You know I thought you saw me different than that."

"Come on Nova, you know it is not like that. I know you are an amazing photographer and I want more for you than just photographing cold and lifeless furniture all day and singing in what is practically an old folks home. You gotta admit, your talents are being wasted in that place, you are so much better than that, just please...I want to help you."

Nova had never viewed herself as the girl who "needed help" before and she felt insulted that that is how Brian viewed her. It made her feel embarrassed and even though deep down she knew Brian's heart was in the right place, it almost felt controlling. Like he didn't think she would be able to make it as much else without his help. 

Nova closed her eyes and held up a hand, signifying that she was done and did not want to hear anymore. It was in this moment that Brian knew he fucked up dearly. 

"I am not going on tour with you, I am not quitting my job for you, and I am most certainly not in need of your help. I have been living in this city for three years...Three years, and I will continue to make it in this city the same way I have been doing so all along, without your help."

Brian was beside himself. Most girls would have killed for the opportunity that he was giving Nova. Then again, Nova was not most girls. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around how she could not want to better herself and step out of her comfort zone. Maybe he had been a little hasty, booking her ticket the way he did, but he had so much to offer her. He wished that she would get over her strong sense of pride and just let him do this for her. 

Brian took a deep breath and answered "Okay" flatly.

Nova stared up at him blankly. 

Why did he have to do this? They were having such a great day and now Nova was finding it hard to even look at Q. There was only one thing that Nova wanted from him at this point.

"Brian...I think I want to go home."


	17. Fire, Meet Fuel

The ride home after the zoo was every bit as awkward as Nova predicted it would be. For the first half of the ride, they barely said two sentences to each other. Even the radio that Q turned on couldn't even out the silence that was beginning to separate them. 

Nova just couldn't believe that Brian had so little regard for her employment at her outlet job. She had always felt that she had a career to be proud of, working at the outlet, that it was better than what most people had, but she guessed it was nothing to keep up with everything Brian had going for him. It didn't feel so good. 

For the first time since they had started seeing each other, she wondered what the hell she was actually doing with Brian and what she thought that their relationship really was. 

A couple of times here and there it would hit her, but she would just push it back down and not let it ruin all the fun they were having. It was hard to think of the future when she was having the time of her life in the present. But really, what did she have to offer him? She was just an average girl with an average life, another face in the crowd. Sure it was plenty good enough for her but after today, she wasn't sure how long it would be good enough for him. 

As for Brian, he was disappointed that Nova repelled his offer so hard. He was giving her action, adventure, and an opportunity that he really felt she deserved and was ready for. He couldn't wrap his head around what the problem was. Sure she would have to quit her job, and granted maybe it was spur of the moment, but if only she saw how much she would gain. Plus it drove him nuts hearing about how Glenn always treated her. 

He then thought about what she said about how "he was a celebrity and everything just gets handed to him". 

He took a deep breath as those words echoed throughout his mind and it fired him up. He gripped the steering wheel tight and gritted his teeth. So that was really how she thought how he got to where he is today...

"By the way, just because I am on TV...Doesn't mean that I didn't have to work hard to get there, since we are in the spirit of pointing fingers right now, that was kinda messed up how you said that" Brian said, abruptly breaking their silence. 

Nova snapped her head in his direction. "Excuse me?" She asked, quirking an eye brow at him. "You said that everything has been handed to me, I just wanted to let you know that you are wrong. Me, Joe, Sal, and Murr worked our asses off to get our names out there, harder than you think. Just because you weren't there to witness it first hand, doesn't mean it didn't happen" Q said in annoyance.

Now it was Nova's turn to breathe. She was angry back then when she said all that and was now wishing she could have taken it back. She didn't mean it but it was too late.

Instead of owning up to her nasty words, she decided to take a more opposing approach which again, she would regret later.

"Well ya know, it goes both ways. Just because you have not seen everything I have went through to get to where I am now, doesn't mean it holds any less value than everything you have done in your life. You think I'm just going to throw it all away for what? For some guy that is promising me a potential not even set in stone future that is not a guarantee? Doing what? Filing papers somewhere? Getting coffee for over paid producers? You are not even promising me that I'll be doing any photography related on the set!" 

"Nova, come on. Just think about this for a second. You get in anywhere at the network...Anywhere! You will move up! Your work is on point and you have already shot for us before. Plus I will be in Pete's ear the whole time, nagging him to use you on the show. I am asking you to take a chance, you owe it to yourself!" Q argued. 

Nova deeply sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Brian, you are just not seeing the bigger picture of things. If I leave the outlet and get a job at TruTV and something happens with us, then what am I going to do? I need a steady income to be able to afford my apartment and if I miss a beat, I will be homeless! That is a lot to put on the line for someone that I haven't been with for that long, I just can't take that risk."

"Wow...Doesn't sound like you have much faith in us if that is where your mind is going. And for the record, if things did not work out between us, I wouldn't let it effect your employment but it already sounds like they are not so I don't know what the fuck we are doing here." Brian said in anger. 

"Well if you are going to be that upset that I am not going with a decision that you are trying to make for me, then I guess I don't know what the fuck we are doing here either." Nova said bluntly, crossing her arms.

Their words cut each other deep. There was still so much more they each wanted to say but they were both exhausted. 

Conveniently, Q's red jeep was coming to a rolling stop in front of Nova's building. The moment the car stopped, Nova rushed to take her seat belt off and ran as fast as she could away from Q.

She didn't want him to see her cry.

Brian was speechless from Nova's actions. He wanted to try to say something so they didn't leave off on things being so rough, but she didn't give him the chance as she bolted out of the car. He wasn't sure if letting her was the right decision. He watched her jog up her front steps until she was safely in her building. He took a deep breath and thought "What have I done?"

Several hours later Nova awoke on her couch, bleary eyed and her face sore from crying herself to sleep. She replayed every word they had said to each other over and over again in her mind. 

How could she have sounded so hateful towards him? 

Granted, it was crazy that he sprung that trip on her last minute like that and she was annoyed that he reacted so strong on her not wanting to go along with it, but deep down she knew that his heart was in the right place. 

She had called her mother, Violet, and Heather and dissected her fight with Q with each one, trying to use them to organize her thoughts. Each of them had a different opinion and advice to give on her situation so those conversations didn't do much on helping her figure out who was right. 

Maybe he wasn't so crazy after all?

Maybe it was time that she took a chance?

She had been working at the outlet for three years now, and sure she made her way up to lead photographer, but now that she had this position, there was no more moving up. The only other jobs at the outlet where she would move up in rank were nothing photography related and that would not be the direction for her life that she desired.

Nova had always told herself that the sky was the limit and maybe it was time to start thinking about moving on from the Outlet. It was hard for her to take all of this from Brian because the only person she had ever wanted to owe her success to was herself. If she were to follow along with Brian's plans for her, she would always know in the back of her mind that everything she would gain from working at TruTV would be all thanks to Brian, and she always vowed to herself to never give anyone that power over her. 

Especially a man!

But this was Brian we were talking about. Her sweet Brian who she knew only wanted what was best for her and who was kind and thoughtful. She knew that he didn't mean her any disrespect and even though trying to get her to go on tour with him the way he did was a bit much for the stage they were at, she came to the conclusion that it was all too silly for it to be enough to completely throw their relationship away. 

Maybe instead of quitting the Outlet, she could quit working at The Haunted Star and work at the network part time instead? After the two of them had a thorough talk of course. This way she wasn't putting all her eggs in one basket. She felt stupid that she didn't think about asking him this option before she blew up on him.

Right on cue, she heard a knock at her door. Her heart jumped at the sound and she rushed up from her couch, pinching her clothes into place and running her hands through her hair, trying to fix it the best she could. It was way past dark outside and she knew that it had to be Brian at her door, wanting to make things right just as she wanted to as well. 

She just wanted to hug and kiss him and tell him she was sorry for all the rotten things she said. She wanted to wish him well on his tour and even though she still wouldn't be joining him, she wanted him to know that she would still be there for him when he got back. She was thrilled that he was giving her the opportunity.

At least she hoped he was. 

Nova hesitated a moment before she opened the door. Her expression fell when Brian's face was not the one that greeted her on the other side.

It was Jimmy Pavo's....

"Jimmy? What are you doing here?" Nova asked, surprised to see him. She gave him a look up and down and realized he didn't look so good. 

"Hey, sorry I know it's late. Can I come in?" He asked innocently. Nova furrowed her eye brows. She wanted to tell him no but she had a feeling something was wrong so she went against her wishes and stupidly let him in. "I was just going to make a cup of tea...Do you want some?" She asked, trying to be polite as she led the way to her kitchen. 

Jimmy's eyes shifted around her apartment. "You got anything stronger?" He asked with a goofy grin. "Other than a few Smirnoff's, not really" Nova said as she made her way to the counter. Jimmy sighed. 

As Nova went about making tea for the two of them, Jimmy began to talk her ear off about what led him to her door. To be honest Nova wasn't quite listening, she had enough on her own plate to worry about and there was something about Jimmy's voice that always made her mind drift. 

Granted they were friends and used to be friends with benefits but Nova always felt that he was one of those people that always had something to bitch about. Always in the past when he would vent to her about things, it always seemed that he just wanted someone to complain to. Nova was the kind of person where if you didn't take the advice she was giving you about a problem and use it constructively, she didn't want to hear it. And Jimmy was just that kind of person that she 'didn't want to hear' for that reason. 

Tonight it was something about a girl that he was supposedly seeing. He caught her going in a bar with another guy after cancelling plans with him and he was really upset about it. Nova pretended like she was listening intently but in reality, the only persons problems she wanted to deal with right this moment was her own. 

"And you know, we went out on three different dates, three dates, three nights. She picked the place every time and guess who paid for it all? Me! What is with you women and the three date rule?" Jimmy went on.

Nova took a sip of her tea and thought "It is probably because that is how long it takes before they can't stand you anymore", to herself.

"I don't know. Maybe she just wasn't feeling the spark, maybe she needed to explore other options. I know plenty of people who date multiple people at a time. It's just casual dating" Nova said with a shrug. 

"Well where I come from, you date one person at a time and that is it. It is just common decency to let someone know if you are no longer into them" Jimmy continued. 

Nova set his tea down in front of him and made her way around the counter. She put on a fake smile and said "Well I am sorry that you had to go through that, I really am but I don't think I am the person you should be talking to tonight. Let's just say I have had better days in the dating department."

Jimmy raised his eyebrows as he took another sip of his tea. "Oh? What are things not going good with that guy from that show...What was it...?" he started.

"Impractical Jokers" Nova said bluntly.

"Yeah, that guy. So what happened with you guys? I thought you were really into him?" Jimmy asked. 

"Well I was...I am...But we kinda got into it earlier today and now I'm not sure what's going on between us" Nova said grimly. 

"Hmm...Well that sucks, what happened?" 

Nova hesitated before she answered. She didn't feel 100% comfortable talking about this with Jimmy of all people and to be honest she was over talking about it in general for the day. After speaking to her mom and her friends about it, she felt like she just needed to be alone with her thoughts to figure out what she was going to do next. 

"Please don't take this the wrong way but I really don't want to talk about it anymore. It's been a long day and I'm just kinda over it all" Nova said, leaning against the counter. 

Jimmy blinked at her and shifted his eyes from his mug to her. "Well, since I had a bad day and you had a bad day...How about we help each other turn it around, there are other things we can do besides talk" he said mischievously.

Nova narrowed her eyes, not fully registering what he was saying, until he moved his hand from his tea and rested it on top of her hers. 

Nova paused for a moment and looked down at his hand. In the past, she would have jumped and taken him up on his offer without hesitation. After all, that is what they had always used each other for, just a good lay to make all their troubles go away for the night. But tonight, Nova was just not feeling it. She was actually repulsed by the thought.

He was not her Q...Nor would he ever be. 

After being with Brian, she didn't really have eyes for anyone else, especially Jimmy. It felt wrong and dirty just with his hand sitting on top of hers as it was. Nova slid her hand away and took a step back, feeling put off by another mans touch. 

"You know Jimmy, I'm sorry but I just don't feel like it tonight. I'm pretty tired and mentally exhausted after today. I think I just want to call it quits for the night but I really hope you feel better tomorrow about that girl" Nova said sincerely.

Jimmy looked at her as if he was confused. This was always their routine whenever they each were having relationship issues and he was having a hard time wrapping his head around her sudden rejection. Especially after what he went through tonight. 

"Oh come on Nova, I really don't want to be alone tonight. Can't I just stay over like we used to? I'll buy ya breakfast tomorrow morning, it will be fun and I'm sure we will both feel better afterwards, what do ya say?" He continued, taking a step closer to her. 

Oddly Nova felt bad at how pathetic he was being but she still didn't have it in her to give in to his wishes. "Jimmy, not tonight. I'm sorry but I am just not in the mood, I really just want to be alone"

She made her way around the counter to try and lead him to the door but as she walked past him he reached out and grabbed her underneath her arm to pull her into him, trying to convince her to let him stay. "Well maybe you're just not thinking clearly" He said in a way that made Nova's stomach turn. 

Nova went from polite and understanding to seeing red in an instant. She had zero tolerance for any man putting his hands on her after she said no to their advances. She snapped.

She roughly pried his fingers off her arm and shoved him back, making him stumble off of the stool he was perched on.

"Keep your fucking hands off me you fucking pasty faced son of a bitch! What part of I want to be alone makes you think that you can push your way into my bedroom like a God damn rapist! Do you have any idea how fucking creepy you just sounded?!" Nova yelled, going from 0 to 100 and getting in his face.

Jimmy backed off immediately. He had never seen Nova get like this before and even though he suspected he had went too far, he still fired back at her.

"Whoa whoa whoa, calm down sweetie. I was only trying to make you feel better, don't get your panties in a wad, you were the one who started up this arrangement in the first place" He said holding up his hands in surrender. 

Nova felt her face turn red. "Well consider this arrangement over on account of you being a pushy asshole who can't take no for an answer...Get. Out!" Nova screamed. 

That little touch already had her feeling like she needed a shower. 

Nova stomped over to the door, stepping to the side and looking at him seriously. Jimmy looked at her as if she slapped him across the face. 

Maybe she should have.

"Jimmy, I swear if you do not get out of my sight within the next 5 seconds, either I am calling the cops or I will pick you up and throw you out myself" She threatened through gritted teeth, sounding way tougher than she actually was. 

Jimmy scoffed and narrowed his eyes at her. "You know, you are a real piece of work" he said, standing up. Nova opened the door and held her ground as he walked past her, glaring at him the whole way. 

He walked out the door and before he left, he turned to say "Thanks for the great time" sarcastically to her. 

Before Nova could say anything, something caught the corner of Jimmy's eye and he turned his head to look down the hallway. His face pulled up into an evil smirk and he looked back and forth at Nova. Nova blinked and stepped out of her door frame to see what he was looking at and her heart dropped.

There was Q, standing there holding a faux Blue Orchid in his hands, looking like a deer in headlights. Nova's eyes went wide. Granted she did nothing wrong but she knew this scene did not look good in front of Q, especially after everything that happened between them earlier. 

Jimmy looked back and forth between Q and Nova, basking in her horror. He smiled sickly and told Nova "You have a nice night" and gave her a little wave. Nova was speechless.

He walked away and right before passing Q, he gave him a look up and down. He patted him on the shoulder and said "She's all yours pal." and then exited in the elevator, leaving Nova to deal with the mess he left behind. 

For a moment they both just stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Perhaps they were both in shock. Nova looked down at the plant he was holding and her eyes teared up. She remembered about what he said earlier that day about how he thought flowers was a way to say I'm sorry. 

He was coming here to make things right, just as she had hoped. His timing couldn't have been worse...

"Q...Q... I can explain...This is not what it looks like" Nova breathed out, finding her voice, giving him sincere eyes. Q breathed out and as if her voice brought him back down to reality his face went from shocked, to hurt, and then to angry.

He shook his head back and forth and said "God...I'm such a fucking idiot."

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. He looked down at the plant and threw it to the ground in anger, so hard that the planter bounced off the ground and hit the wall. He turned and stomped away, power walking to the stairs to get away from Nova as fast as he could. 

"Q! Q wait! Please!" Nova called after him. She turned around to put her shoes on but unfortunately they weren't anywhere by the door so she mentally said 'fuck it' and took off after him bare foot. 

He was already halfway down the stair well by the time she caught up with him. 

"Q! Stop! Please let me explain! I swear nothing happened!" Nova continued to call out down to him from over the railing but he continued to walk away from her. She had to stop him and tell him it was all a big misunderstanding. She was praying he would just stop and give her the chance to explain. 

She felt horrible knowing how bad she had just hurt him and it was completely out of her control. She would follow him barefoot through out the streets of Manhattan all night if she had to, to convince him she didn't do anything with Jimmy. 

Nova continued to call out to him as she hurried after him. He exited the doors of her building and walked across the street to where his red Jeep was parked. Luckily there was a break in traffic so he was able to seamlessly get across without missing a beat.

"BRIAN!" Nova called out to him, bursting through the doors. He was already halfway across the street. 

Still barefoot and in her pajamas, she ran full speed towards him, hoping to make it to him before he got in his car and it was all over. He just had to hear her out! She was sure he would understand if he just gave her the chance to talk. 

Nova called his name out once more and finally Q actually turned around to look at her, one last time. 

The next series of events felt like they were happening to someone else. It felt like they were moving slow and fast at the same time and all Brian could do was watch. Nova was about halfway across the street by the time Brian turned around. She was relieved until Brian yelled at her to stop. Thinking it was out of protest, Nova hesitated, thinking he was pushing her away. 

She was so determined to stop him, she didn't stop to think to look both ways before crossing a busy street and a car plowed right into her, knocking her to the ground. The last thing Nova remembered hearing was the screech of the brakes, the blaring horn, and Brian yelling out her name...


	18. Liar Liar, Gucci On Fire

Brian was speechless from Nova's actions. He wanted to try to say something so they didn't leave off on things being so rough, but she didn't give him the chance when she bolted out of the car. He wasn't sure if letting her was the right decision. He watched her jog up her front steps until she was safely in her building. He took a deep breath and thought "What have I done?"

He stayed in front of Nova's building for a few minutes, replaying the scenes from the argument they just had. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling like they might have just broken up. Brian took a moment to think about how that made him feel, and honestly he didn't feel very good. He let out a deep sigh and put his Jeep in drive.

Regardless of how he felt, he knew one thing was for certain. They both needed time to cool off. 

As Brian drove home he continued to think about everything they had said. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she didn't want to work for TruTV with him. It was a very big network and it was the home of many popular TV shows, he just didn't get it. She should have been head over heels when he said that he could get her in there. 

After that first photo shoot she did, she vibed so well with not only the Jokers, but the cast and crew as well, surely his environment was better than the one she was currently in. Even though he liked Juan and even admired the relationship that he and Nova shared, her boss Glenn was a dark cloud who didn't give a damn about Nova or how she killed herself for that job. She definitely deserved better treatment than that. He knew that she would excel anywhere she was placed in the network. 

Brian wished that just for once she would suck up her pride and just let him give this to her. 

Brian's thoughts were making him agitated and he wasn't quite ready to go home and sulk for the rest of the day, so he called the one person who he knew wouldn't mind hearing him whine about his problems. 

He called Sal. 

Some time later, both Brian and Sal were sitting at their favorite bar over a pitcher of their favorite draft, discussing everything that happened with Nova. 

"That's crazy that she said no to you! I mean that would have been such a huge step up for her! She did so good that day she came to shoot for us, seems like such a waste!" Sal told Brian after he got the story out of him. 

"That's what I said! Her boss now treats her like such shit and makes her pull these crazy hours. I mean Nova doesn't really complain about it but I'm just worried that she is letting her boss walk all over her" Brian exclaimed, slamming his fist down in agreeance.

"Well, you gotta remember, you guys have been together for like what? A couple of months? Might be too early to start calling shots like that for her" Sal said, raising his eye brows and taking another sip of his beer. 

"I feel like she is just being stubborn. Like she is trying to prove a point ya know? Like 'she is woman, hear her roar!', I just wish she would see that I don't care about all that, I just want what is best for her!" Brian continued. 

"Yeah I get that. Maybe back off for a bit and see what happens. Let her come to you" Sal advised.

Brian blinked and looked up at him. "Well what if she doesn't?"

Sal paused for a moment. "Well if she doesn't then fuck her and her feminist views. Then it was never meant to be, she let her pride ruin a good thing" He said coldly.

Brian furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Sal wearily. He wasn't expecting such a cut throat answer. He let out a deep sigh and let his eyes wander to the game that was playing behind the bar. His mind blanked out for a moment and then he turned to Sal and said "Maybe I shouldn't have booked her that flight. 

Sal trailed his eyes from the TV screen to Brian and he gave him a look of disbelief. "Brian...What flight?"

Brian hesitated a second before he answered. "I booked her a seat on our flight for the tour. I figured if she went with us she could see how great it would be for her to be on set and she would get to meet everyone and hang out. I was going to surprise her with it after the zoo."

Sal looked at Brian and the thought of slapping him came to mind. "Whoa, what a second!" Sal said putting his hand up. "You mean to tell me, that you went and booked her a seat, on our flight. Our flight which leaves tomorrow morning! For the trip that we will be gone a whole two weeks! On a whim and you weren't going to tell her until TODAY?!" 

"Well yeah, I thought it would be a nice surprise" Brian said blankly. 

Sal jerked his body and violently shook his head back and forth. "You idiot! You can't do stuff like that! That girl has a life and a job! Other commitments! Do you have any idea how freaking creepy that is! That is just too much!" Sal exclaimed. 

For some reason, all it took was for Sal to say it to let the words click into place. Why it was Sal that was able to drill the words and get Brian to understand just what he was asking of Nova? The world may never know, but Sal was Brian's best friend and he was often the one he went to when he was seeking validation for anything. The fact that he was not getting it from Sal, made him know that he had messed up dearly. 

"God, you know you are right...You are absolutely right...Ahh what the hell was I thinking!" Brian said as he took of his hat and ran a hand through his hair.

"You stupid ass!" Sal shrieked. "I wouldn't have wanted to go with you either!" he said with a chuckle. 

"God I fucked up didn't I? What the fuck do I do now?" Brian said grimly. 

"I'll tell you what you do, you get the fuck out of here and go find that girl and you do anything in your power to make it right! Kiss her feet if you have to! Go, get!" Sal yelled at Brian and nudged him in the direction of the door. 

"Alright alright! I'm going!" Q said as he rushed out the doors. 

How could he have been so stupid? Of course she would have been pissed. Now Brian saw things more clearly than ever. He was way too pushy with the way he sprung this trip on her. It was controlling and selfish of him to expect her to drop her life to go on a vacation with him. Even though it seemed like a good idea at the time to surprise her, he should have asked her in advance if she wanted to go. He felt horrible for being so hard on her. 

Brian jumped into his Jeep and started it up. He was about to pull out of the parking lot when he stopped. What the hell was he going to say to her? He knew he was going to have to admit that he was wrong, which even though it was a hard thing to do, he knew it was the right thing. He started to think of all the ways he could possibly say sorry to her. 

All the sudden an idea clicked in his head and he knew what he had to do. He thought of the best way to show her that he was truly sorry, while adding a nice personal gesture in the mix. 

He was off to search for a Blue Orchid. 

Three stores later, he finally found the perfect Orchid for Nova. It had four full blooming flowers on it and the stalks weren't terribly long. It was a nice and vibrant blue color and even though it wasn't the real thing, he knew Nova would appreciate the symbolism of it all. 

It was getting pretty late and even though Brian knew he had to be up early, it would be worth it to attempt to mend things before he was out of town. Plus he could always sleep on the plane, so there was that. 

Brian parked across the street from Nova's building and eagerly walked up her front steps. He was nervous. He wasn't sure how pissed she still was at him or if she would even listen to him for that matter. Even though he knew that she was the kind of girl that would hear him out, he couldn't stop the seedlings of doubt that began to take root in his mind. 

Being this close to the brink of losing Nova made Q realize just how much he cared about her and how he would do whatever it took to keep her in his life. He knew his feelings for Nova were deep, but he didn't realize they were this deep until this very moment. 

He took the elevator up to Nova's floor. Holding the Orchid in his hands, he shifted on his feet as he anxiously waited for the doors to open. He stepped out of the doorway and turned the corner to Nova's hallway and froze when he heard a mans voice. 

Sure enough, a short, dark haired guy walked out of Nova's apartment. "Thank's for the great time" He said, looking back and smiling. 

Q's eyes went wide. He felt the blood rush to his head and the sound of it was so deafening that he was having trouble processing what he was seeing before him, and if it was really happening.

Brian knew this guy. His name was Jimmy and he preformed at the club that Nova would sing at on weekends. He was a regular there and he was there just about every time he would go and watch Nova. He never thought that them two had a "thing".

Brian's grip tightened up on the plant when Nova stepped out and saw him. She had such a guilty look on her face, they two of them just stared at each other for what felt like forever. It took his breath away and as the betrayal set in, so did his temper. 

He shook his head back and forth, feeling like a fool. A fool that had just been played. A fool in love...

A fool that now had his heart broken. He practically heard it shatter like glass. He was so focused on Nova, he didn't even hear what Jimmy said as he walked past him. 

"Q...Q... I can explain...This is not what it looks like" Nova breathed out, finding her voice, giving him sincere eyes. Q breathed out and as if her voice brought him back down to reality his face went from shocked, to hurt, and then to angry.

He shook his head back and forth and said "God...I'm such a fucking idiot."

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. He looked down at the plant and threw it to the ground in anger, so hard that the planter bounced off the ground and hit the wall. He turned and stomped away, power walking to the stairs to get away from Nova as fast as he could. 

"Q! Q wait! Please!" Brian heard Nova call out after him. Brian had to get out there as fast as he could. His stomach turned and his hands were shaking. 

He wanted to punch a wall. He wanted to scream. He wanted to ask her why. So many things he wanted to do but he couldn't compose himself enough to do them. He just knew that he had to get away from her.

Ignoring her attempts to call out to him, he didn't want to hear what she had to say. She did the very thing that he was afraid of this whole time. She broke his heart. 

He made it to the street where his car was parked. He couldn't believe that she was the kind of girl to jump to another guy the moment things got rocky.

Nova called his name out once more and finally Q actually turned around to look at her, one last time.

The next series of events felt like they were happening to someone else. It felt like they were moving slow and fast at the same time and all Brian could do was watch. Nova was about halfway across the street by the time Brian turned around. 

'What was she doing?!' he thought as he saw her jump right in the street. She didn't even look both ways before she ran to him. Right away his eyes darted to the side to look for her, just in time to see a car heading straight for her that clearly had no intention of slowing down. His eyes widened in panic.

"NOVA STOP! LOOK OUT!" Was all he could get out before the car ran right into her. "NOVA!" He screamed in a panic as her body was projected and she hit the ground, her head bouncing on the pavement. 

Right away all of Brian's angry feelings left him and were replaced with sheer terror. The headlights of the car were blinding as Brian ran to Nova's side, this time not giving a thought about his own safety. 

As Brian squatted to be by her side, the car that hit her screeched it's tires as it was thrown into reverse. Brian looked up and he threw his body in front of Nova's in an attempt to shield her when the car sped up towards them. The car turned at the last second, completely fleeing the scene. Brian was too concerned for Nova to bother looking at the plate. 

"Nova...Oh shit Nova...Please open your eyes!" Brian cried out as he held onto her. All of Brian's fire fighter training went completely out the window. There was nothing in the world that could have prepared him for the feeling that he had in his chest right now. He had helped so many people over the years working for the fire department, yet this was the first time he had ever been in a situation with someone that he loved...

By now, people were starting to gather around and speculate the scene. "SOMEONE PLEASE CALL 911!" Brian yelled, looking around at all the people that were coming up to them. He felt annoyed that everyone was just standing there. 

He looked back down to Nova and moved some hair out of her face. "Nova please...Please just be okay...I swear we will figure this all out just please open your eyes" Q said through a shaky voice. 

She was unresponsive.

Q began to feel a little better when he heard the sound of sirens in the distance. People were coming up to him and asking him questions but honestly, he couldn't hear a damn word they were saying. All he could focus on was the girl that was in his arms. He felt tears begin to prickle through his eyes. 

"Nova, help is coming sweetie, you are going to be okay" Brian he said in a broken voice as he cradled her in his arms. He wasn't sure if he was saying that for Nova, or for himself. Brian had never felt so helpless in his life.

How could she be so stupid? Why couldn't she have just looked both ways? These were the only questions that Brian could focus on. He felt partially responsible knowing that the reason why she didn't pay attention to the busy street was because she was chasing after him. If he would have just stopped and talked to her, none of this would have happened. 

Finally after what felt like eternity, the paramedics arrived. They approached Q and asked him what happened. 

"Uh she was crossing the street and someone hit her! I can't get her to open her eyes! She's not moving" Q said in pure panic, his words coming out jibberish. "Sir, we can take it from here" A younger man said, kneeling down while two other paramedics came and lowered a gurney down next to her.

"Is she going to be okay? Please tell me she's going to be okay!" Q pleaded. 

"Sir, you have to step back" Someone instructed to him. "Okay, okay, just please help her!" Q said in surrender. He eased back, and let them do their job. 

Everything else that had happened after that was all a blur. Like a robot, Brian stood on the sidelines and watched them work on Nova. He watched them carefully lure her on the gurney and load her up in the ambulance. He answered all of the question that the police asked him and the moment he was cleared to go, he rushed to his Jeep to drive to the hospital. 

On his way, he called the one person that he knew Nova would want there. The person who he knew for a fact that was in Nova's close inner circle and would have been one of the first people that she would want there, aside from her mother.

He called Robin...

About twenty minutes later, both Q and Robin met up at the hospital. When Q saw her, a temporary relief washed over his face. "Robin! Shit I never thought I would be so happy to see you! I don't know what is going on! They won't tell me anything! I....I don't know what to do" Q stammered out in a panic.

Robin gave him a look up and down. She had never seen him look so rough before but she remembered the phone call that she had gotten from Nova earlier about their fight. As bad as she wanted to rip into him, she was still his publicist and had to remain professional. Plus now wasn't really the time, thought that had never stopped Robin before. 

"Okay okay, I got this" Robin said, holding a hand up to silence him. "She has me down as her emergency contact so will stay here and deal with all of this, you are going to go home and get ready for your flight, I arranged a van to pick all of you up in a few hours" Robin said firmly.

"What? No way! I'm not leaving! Not until I find out that Nova is okay!" Brian said, looking at Robin as if she were crazy. 

"Brian...I have to be honest, you look like shit! You have a show scheduled for tomorrow at 5 and then another one at 8, you need to go home and get some rest! I will text you as soon as I know what's up, I promise" Robin ordered. 

"Robin, I'm not fucking leaving! Don't ask me to again....Not until I see that Nova is okay!" Brian fired back. 

"Ugh, okay, fine...But I swear if I hear anything about you being anything but your charming self in the meet and greets I scheduled tomorrow I am going straight to Pete! We are running a business here and we can't have you fucking it up on account of you being a grouch!" 

Q and Robin never quite saw eye to eye. He thought she was snobby and controlling and she thought he was a dumb New York slob who got lucky a few times too many and didn't deserve to have his claim to fame. She didn't find him at all attractive and she didn't understand what Nova saw in him and if you ask her, Nova could have done way better. 

Then again, there were not many people on Robin's list that she felt were good enough to date her best friend. 

Brian really wanted to tell Robin what obscene part of his body she could kiss but he knew that she was now the only person who would be able to tell him what the status was on Nova. So he very uncomfortably bit his tongue, settled for a nasty glare, and led Robin to the receptionist desk.

Because she had a head injury, Nova was being transported to the ICU which meant only people on the emergency contact list were aloud in, so that meant Robin and not Q. He was forced to take a seat in the waiting room while she went to go see Nova. 

 

She was led up by a CNA and to Robin's surprise, Nova was awake when she poked her head in her room. She looked pretty groggy but Robin was thrilled to see her coherent enough to be able to make eye contact with her when she walked in the room.

"Oh my goodness! Nova! How are you feeling? I heard what happened!" Robin said as she approached the hospital bed. "Hey...Thanks for coming...Well I got a really bad headache and the doc said I messed up my knee pretty bad. I'm kinda sore but I'm still breathing" Nova said giving Robin a weak smile. 

"They said that you were unconscious when they found you, I was so worried, I'm happy to see you are awake!" 

"Yeah, I came too on the way here. They said I had a concussion. I think my knee took the worst of it though. It really hurt before I got here, then they gave me drugs and I'm not so bad anymore" Nova said, attempting to straighten up.

"Do they know who hit you?" Robin asked seriously.

Nova grimly shook her head. "No. They were probably scared. It's all still a blur. One minute I was chasing after Q and then....Wait...Q!" Nova's eyes jolted the moment she mentioned his name. It all came back to her in a flash.

"Oh my God Robin, Q thinks I cheated on him!" She cried out.

Robin looked at her puzzled and asked Nova what she meant.

"Did he come with you?" Nova asked frantically.

Robin hesitated before she answered. She gave Nova a look and then slowly shook her head no. 

Nova slowly looked down at the bed. When she looked back up, she had tears in her eyes. She knew that what Q thought she did was bad, but she didn't think it was that bad for him not to stick around. She knew about his tour tomorrow and she wouldn't want him to miss it for anything, but it still hurt knowing that he no longer cared enough to see if she was okay. 

Nova told her the story and Robin listened to every detail. Robin began to feel angry that her friend almost died because of a stupid guy but she held it in for Nova's sake. She knew Nova had enough to deal with right now and didn't want to upset her any further. 

"He didn't even give me a chance to explain...And now he's going to leave on tour and I don't even know when the next time will be that I will get to see him" Nova sulked.

"Yeah, to be honest, he called me to let me know what happened. I told him I would meet him in the lobby and he just wasn't there, I was so concerned about you, I didn't think to call him" Robin lied. 

Nova started to cry but her head hurt really bad and she hissed from the pain. "Hey hey, take it easy. I think you need to rest a bit, I'll see if I can work my way to get you some more pain meds" Robin said giving Nova a wink. 

"Thanks...That actually sounds really good right now...Would you mind going by my place and grabbing a few of my things? I would really like my phone, I left it on my coffee table. My poor parents don't even know what happened yet" Nova said. 

"Of course! Anything you need!" Robin said attentively. They said their goodbyes and soon, Nova was by herself again. She rested her eyes and began to think about Brian. 

She couldn't believe that he didn't come to the hospital after she had been hit by a car! She knew that he was mad at her but surely not this mad? Granted he had his tour and she wouldn't have wanted him to miss that for anything in the world, but after everything they shared, he couldn't have at least made sure she was okay? She just didn't understand it. It was so unlike him! She felt like she had fucked up so bad, when in reality she did nothing wrong. 

Luckily a nurse came in and filled up her IV bag with more morphine so Nova didn't ponder it much longer. She soon fell into a dreamless sleep and would deal with everything else when she woke up. 

 

The familiar sound of Robin's new Gucci shoes clacking on the tile floor made Q's head jerk out of his hands. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her face turn around the corner. In an instant he was on his feet, asking her a million questions on how she was doing. 

"She's okay, she was up and talking when I saw her. She had a minor concussion and her knee took a pretty bad hit, but she is going to be okay" Robin said stiffly. 

Relief washed over Q's face and he nearly crumbled to his knees. "Oh thank God! Do you know when I can go up?" Q asked. 

Robin shook her head. "She's resting right now. I spoke to the doctor, he said that he is going to give her a little bit and then they are going to take some more x-rays of her leg. I'm going to get her a few things from her place and her phone so she can call her parents." Robin explained. 

"Okay great, do you want me to go with you?" Q asked, trying to help wherever he could. "No, I'm fine. I got it. You have a plane to catch in a few hours. Go home, get some rest, and I'll tell Nova to call you when she's feeling up to it" Robin assured. 

Q's shoulders dropped. He wanted to see Nova more than anything, just so he could see for himself that she was okay, but it didn't sound like that was going to be for another few hours. He had a very eventful day and he was exhausted. He felt bad leaving but he would be letting so many people down if he stayed. His friends, the network, and all of their fans were counting on him to be there. 

He just had to take Robin's word that she would have Nova call him when she was ready...


	19. Now Is Time To Say Goodbye

Robin was able to get her assistant to handle the Tenderloin's tour so she could be with Nova. There was nothing that could pull her away from her best friend at the time that she needed her the most. Plus Robin wasn't sure what kind of shape Nova would be in just when they found out what was what. She just had to sit and wait and hope for the best.

She was happy that Q was finally gone. He would be nothing but a distraction to Nova right now, and she needed her focus on herself right now more than ever.

Robin felt horrible about everything that had happened with Nova in the last 24 hours. More than anything she wanted to ring Q's neck for letting it all happen in the first place. She just wished that he would leave her friend alone so she could date someone that Robin didn't have to worry about breaking Nova's heart.

From day one when them two started seeing each other, Robin had never taken their relationships seriously. She had been in the entertainment business long enough to know how it all worked and that normal people like Nova were not cut out to date celebrities like Q. It just never worked out and it made her hate Q for pursuing her friend and using her as a crutch for whenever he felt lonely, knowing that one day he would cast her aside like yesterday's garbage. She knew that if he didn't have the status that he had, Nova probably wouldn't have even so much as glanced his way, but she loved Nova too much to judge her for that.

She was thrilled to hear that Nova had turned Q down when he tired to get her to apply at the network. She fully agreed with Nova on her reasons and felt like this world would have been too much for her to handle. Plus she now didn't have to worry about Nova being out of work when Q decided there was a better pool of fish and kicked her to the side. She was happy that they had this dispute before Nova got in too deep and it saved her from having to pick the up pieces afterwards.

Because that is what Robin had always did for Nova. Ever since she had first moved here all these years ago as a scared little girl all the way from Florida, responding to an ad that Robin put out looking for a photographer for an event that she was throwing back then. She was a sweet, beautiful girl with a sick talent behind the camera, that Robin decided to take under her wing. From the moment they met Robin grew a liking for her and shadowed her into meeting all the right people that could get her places.

Sometimes she knew that she was over bearing and pushy but she knew it was for Nova's own good. Sometimes Nova needed it and she would do anything for her best friend, whether if Nova realized if it was for the best or not.

Including making sure Q stayed out of the picture for good...

Robin was sitting in Nova's empty hospital room, waiting for her to get back. Nova was not in her room after Robin got back from retrieving Nova's things so she assumed that they had her pulled for X-rays. She was sitting in the chair, going through emails, when she heard Nova's phone ding several times.

Looking back and forth, Robin casually pulled Nova's phone out of the bag of her things that she had gathered from her apartment. Sure enough it was a text message from Q along with a few missed calls. She took no hesitation in opening it up and reading it.

Hey Nova, I'm not sure  
when you will see this but  
I Just wanted to let you  
know that I am so sorry  
about everything. If there  
is anything in the world  
that you need please let  
me know. There is so much  
I need to say but I'd really  
rather say it to your face  
and not via text. I hope  
you will give me the  
opportunity. I will call you  
when I land. Again, I'm sorry.

Robin read the text a couple times and played the words in her head. She just wished he would leave her alone. He had done enough damage and Nova was going to be in no shape to deal with this over the next few days. She had more than enough to worry about. Robin thought hard on what to do, and then she opened up the chat and texted Q through Nova's phone, taking matters into her own hands.

Don't call me ever again.  
I no longer want to  
know you. This is all  
your fault. Forget my  
number and forget you  
even know my name. We  
are done. If you really care  
about me, you will leave me  
alone. That is all I want from  
you.

Then she deleted the conversation and all of the missed calls and texts from Nova's phone and smiled at her handy work. She had just did the biggest favor of Nova's life and she didn't even know it. If everything worked out, she never would.

Robin flinched when a nurse wheeled Nova back in her room. Robin's face went through a range of emotions when she saw Nova. Nova looked as if she had been crying hard and she still had tears in her eyes. Whatever came back from her scans must have not been good.

"Sweetie! What's wrong?" Robin asked as she stood up and rushed over to Nova. Nova tried to form the words but she just couldn't repeat the news that the doctor had given her, and she broke down crying. Seeing Nova like this killed Robin. She had never seen her friend this upset and she didn't know what to do to make it right.

"I'll give you two a moment, I'll be back to help you in bed" The nurse said before she exited the room. Robin flashed her a thankful smile and then zoned back in on Nova, who was really starting to worry. She sat back down next to Nova and put a reassuring hand on Nova's, letting her know that she was there for her, and waited for her to compose herself.

"They...They said I have a fracture in my kneecap and I damaged my meniscus...I have to have surgery tomorrow" Nova said through her tears. Robin drew in a sharp breath from the news and looked at Nova with concern. "Okay, okay, yes it is major but you are at one of the best hospitals in the country and I will make sure they have the best surgeon for this kind of thing on board, you will be okay" She said, trying to make Nova feel better.

"Robin, what am I going to do? They said I can be out from anywhere to two to three months with this thing! What am I going to do about work? I don't think Glenn will keep my spot for that long and I don't know how I'm going to get to the subway every day with my knee totally wrecked!" Nova cried.

"We will deal with all of that once we get you through this surgery. Worst case, we put all your stuff in storage and you can come and stay in my spare bedroom. I will do whatever it takes to help you figure all of this out. For now I just want you to focus on getting better, leave all those details for me to figure out" Robin said, patting Nova's shoulder.

"Oh my God Robin!" Nova exclaimed with fresh tears in her eyes. "I don't know what to say, you would really do all that for me?"

"Absolutely! That is what friends are for! Now I'm going to go and find that nurse so you can get some sleep. You are going to need it for tomorrow. I'll be back first thing in the morning" Robin said.

Nova looked at Robin as if she were her saving grace. If she only knew what antics she had been up to earlier....

"Thank you so much! I don't know what I would do without you...Just...Thank you" Nova said gratefully. Robin gave Nova another warm smile and walked out of the room to go find the nurse.

After Robin had left, Nova took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She was in a bad situation. It was hard to accept all of Robin's help but at this point she had no other choice. The only thing worse than accepting help from Robin would be to go back home with her tail between her legs and to start all over again. Nova had came too far here in New York to go that route.

She had met so many people here that she had come to love as family and the opportunities were endless for someone with her kind of talent. She would never get the kind of gigs back at home that she was able to get here. That was the whole reason why she moved here in the first place, to give herself more exposure and hopefully some day make a name for herself. 

Sure she was about to face a set back with her leg being out of commission but she knew she could get it all back. 

And then there was Q...

She didn't quite know what to make of their situation that they were in right now. She didn't do anything wrong and he didn't even give her a chance to explain. Sure she knew it looked bad to him, but she deserved the chance to tell him what was really going on there. She had never given him any reason to doubt her until this moment, and it was all just a big misunderstanding. 

And then to not stick around to see if she was okay after she had almost died. She knew his tour was important to him and yes, she wouldn't have wanted him to miss it, but at the same time she was disappointed and hurt that he didn't care enough to make sure she was okay, even for just a little bit. 

She knew for a fact that if the shoe were on the other foot, she would have stayed back for him. Nova wheeled herself over to where Robin had her stuff sitting and she picked up her phone to see if there was even a text, asking her if she made it out okay.

There was so such thing. 

Nova let out a deep breath. She was hurt but she didn't have the energy to cry anymore. It was going to be hard but she needed to focus on herself right now more than anything else. She had quite the journey ahead of her and maybe it was a good thing that Q had decided to make a break for it. One less distraction. One less thing to make her feel bad when she was already feeling at her worst.

If he wasn't going to stick around then she wasn't going to try to force him. She had been that person before, many of times in past relationships, and she learned that she never wanted to be that person again, not for anyone. If he wasn't going to make the effort then why should she? They had their fun, now that she no longer had a thing to give him and she was a broken mess from her accident, she knew that she would be nothing but a burden. 

It was time to let him go...

Brian did not receive Robin's response for Nova until he was boarded on the plane with the guys. He had told them all what happened and they were all shocked. They all hoped that she would be okay and expressed their condolences to Brian.

He had told them about how he suspected she was cheating on him, and even though it would have been the perfect set up for karma to show its face, none of them gave any impression that she had deserved it. They weren't exactly on her side, but they didn't want her to be physically hurt in a tragic accident. 

Brian still felt bad for boarding the plane, knowing that Nova was in the hospital. Even though Robin said she was okay, everything about it felt wrong. There were a few times where he almost said fuck it, and turned back but all of the guys talked him out of it. Bottom line was that they could not do the tour without him and it would make a lot of people upset and be very bad for the name they were trying to make for themselves. 

All Brian wanted to do was talk to her at this point. That was until he got the text...

He was sitting next to Sal on the plane by the time it came through. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it was from Nova, and then it dropped once he read it. He read it two more times after that, just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him and it was true. He began to feel a pain so deep and so familiar, he could only think of one thing to say.

"Excuse me, miss" He said waving down the flight attendant. When he got her attention he asked for a Whisky on ice. Sal blinked and slowly turned his head to look at him. "Really Bri? Really?" He asked with an attitude. Brian gritted his teeth and pursed his lips, handing Sal the phone so that he could see the message from Nova himself. 

"Ohh fuck that bitch! Is she fucking serious!?" Sal exclaimed in a high pitched voice. Brian continued to grit his teeth and not say anything, not knowing how to take it. Sal let out a deep breath and shook his head in annoyance. 

"Brian, this is not your fault. I didn't want to be the one to say it but she is just pissed that she did a horrible thing and karma bit her in the ass. She is trying to cover up her wrong doings from fucking that guy in her apartment, she is turning it all around to make it seem like you did this....Fuck that cunt!" Sal said, getting angry. 

"She said that she never wants to see me again, she wants me to leave her alone" Brian said, the hurt visible in his voice.

"Then I suggest that is what you do. Forget her Brian! If she wants nothing to do with you then grant her that wish and leave it at that. You did everything right, you made sure she got to the hospital, you stuck around until Robin told you to go home, you offered to help. You are not the bad guy here! She is! She cheated on you!" Sal argued. 

Brian was hurt. He really liked Nova's company and she was probably the most down to Earth girl he had ever been with. She never got offended from any of his jokes and sometimes she could dish it back twice as hard. The thought of never seeing her again, even after what she had done pained him. He really thought they had something special. The fact that he was wrong made him never want to try again. These women always left with getting the best of him, and he the worst of them. He was done. 

The flight attendant brought him his drink and he slung it back and asked for another one. Before the attendant could comply Sal put up a hand. "No no no no NO! You are not going to sit here next to me and drink your misery away and get sick. I am not going to sit next to you if you do that. Plus we have two shows tonight and you are not going to be at your best if you are hung over. You need to deal with this without the booze for right now. I know you are hurting and I'm here for you, but you cannot drink this away buddy, not this time. We have too much at stake." Sal scolded.

Brian shook his head. "I just can't believe this is happening to me. Again! I just don't get it. Things were going so well and what? One fight and she runs off and screws the first guy she can get a hold of? I just...I didn't think she was like that. I know I messed up but damn..." Brian trailed on, his gaze drifting. 

"Brian, shes a fucking whore! That is what whores do. Sure she put up a good act and she seemed genuine, but she was not. Like I said, you did nothing wrong here! She is the one with the issues." Sal said, trying to make his friend feel better. Sal was more pissed that he himself tried to give Nova the benefit of doubt earlier when Brian came to him about the original dispute. Even though he was trying to be supportive, he too was surprised that Nova turned out to be like this. She seemed like such a nice girl, but then again, they always did.

"Eh whatever. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm exhausted" Brian grumbled, putting his hoodie up. Sal respected his wishes and left him alone to get some rest. Brian put his ear buds on and tuned the world out until the plane landed. 

He was hoping that he would be able to shake off his blues for the shows he had to do tonight. For once, he was not looking forward to performing and but he didn't have it in him to stand up his friends. He wanted to text Nova back so bad but he didn't know what to say. She had broken his heart and he didn't see the sense in continuing to pursue someone who literally told him they no longer wanted anything to do with him. He still hoped that she would be okay from her accident and still wished her the best, being the kind of person he was. It was going to suck but he knew one thing was for certain....

It was time to let her go...


	20. When The Rain Finally Stops

Three months had passed since Nova's hit and run. Three long ass months. They never found out who had hit Nova in the first place and Nova knew that they probably never would. She was okay with that. She was just thankful to be alive and breathing after everything she had been through, knowing that it all could have ended way worse.

Nova's mother was on the first plane out the moment that she got the call about her being in the hospital. Nova tried to tell her mom over and over again that she was fine but her mother Caroline insisted that she came up. Nova was never one who wanted to inconvenience anyone, but she was actually thankful that she did. She may have not realized it, but at that moment Nova needed her mom more than ever.

She stayed for about two weeks and helped Nova settle into her 'new' life, a life of harshly realizing that she was going to have to accept the help of others. She helped Robin and her friends move all of Nova's stuff and got her settled into Robins loft where she would now be residing.

This accident definitely changed Nova's life and shifted it upside down for sure. She had lost her job working at the Outlet, she knew that was going to happen. There was no way in hell Glenn was going to hold her spot.

Even though she had lost her job, she was happy to hear that they gave her position to Juan as the lead photographer. He was one of her best friends and even though her and Glenn never quite saw eye to eye, she was happy that out of everyone, Juan was the one to get the promotion. He deserved it more than anyone and he was a hard worker, she knew he would do great things with his new title. She had taught him well, now it was time to see what he could do.

In result of her losing her job, she was forced to take Robin up on her offer and follow through with her plans of putting her things in storage and moving in with her. It was an adjustment for sure and at the time it was very upsetting to Nova, but eventually she just accepted her fate and realized that this was the way that things were going to have to be if she wanted to stay in New York.

On top of everything, Robin was nice enough to find a place for Nova at her PR firm just answering emails and acting like one of Robin's many assistants. Nova had never realized just how big of a person Robin was in the PR world until she had taken that job. That surly explained how she was able to afford all of those designer brand outfits that she paraded herself around in.

She wasn't making as much working for Robin as she did at the Outlet, but it was enough to get by and give Robin money towards rent, even though Robin assured her many of times that it was not necessary. Her parents would also send her money whenever they could, which she was very appreciative of. Nova couldn't believe how cool Robin was about taking care of everything for her.

And she sure did take care of EVERYTHING. Doctors appointments, grocery bills, meals, helping her shower and get around the first few weeks after her surgery, just about everything. No matter how much Nova would refuse, Robin would still step in anyway and help her out. Sometimes Nova would get annoyed at her forwardness, but she felt like she didn't have any right to complain considering she was on her turf.

She was very grateful to have Robin in her life, as well as Heather and Violet. Between the three of them, they made sure that Nova had a ride and company for just about everything. They would talk often and arrange their schedules to figure out who was going to be taking Nova wherever she needed to go that week. Nova felt like she truly has the best friends of the city.

She still kept her job singing at the club. Granted that was about all she could do, but Mr. Lucas was such an understanding person and he had so much love for Nova that he would either have a stool out or she would sing on top of a piano so she didn't have to walk or dance. As long as she could still sing, that was good enough for him. She was even starting to take piano lessons every now and then from one of her buddies that also had an act there, just to pass time and get her out of the house. She was actually getting pretty good too!

She still saw Jimmy at the club but usually he just avoided her like the plague. Once in a while he would shoot her a dirty look but for the most part Nova just ignored him. As far as she was concerned, he was just another jerk and he never showed her the slightest bit of concern for her after she came back from the accident, not that she cared.

Nova had never felt so loved before, watching the way all of her friends came together to help her out. It was almost enough to help fill the void that Q had left in her life. She hadn't heard from him since her accident and even though she had a lot to focus on, she still thought about him. Granted, it hurt less and less as time went on, but he never fully left her conscious. Almost every day she would wonder how he was doing or see something that reminded her of him that he would have appreciated.

She still didn't know what fully happened there, but she tried not to dwell on it. It wouldn't change anything. She knew that she did nothing wrong and that it all stemmed from his own issues on trust, but she still wished that he would have given her the chance to explain. Robin told her countless times that he was not worth it, but that didn't stop him from invading her thoughts. At night, she even dreamed about him from time to time.

Robin would give her little updates on the show if Nova would pester her enough so she knew that they were in the middle of filming their third season. Nova figured he was probably too busy to think about her.

Nova was finally at the point where she was able to somewhat freely walk around without the help of a friend or a crutch and she tried to walk every day to get the function of her leg back. According to all of her doctors visits and physical therapy, she was healing quite well, but her knee was still very sore. They told her that it would never be 100% back to the way it was and that there was a chance that she would walk with a limp for the rest of her life, but that didn't stop Nova.

As much as Robin worried, Nova would leave the loft and at first she would walk to the end of the street and back, testing herself to see how far she could push it before things got too painful. After two weeks of doing this, she was able to walk another block and then another block after that. She was up to three blocks now, almost four and even though walking back was a struggle, she still pushed herself to do it every day. She could feel herself slowly start to take back control of her life.

"Hey where were you?" Robin asked Nova as she came back from one of her walks. "Oh, I just went for a walk" Nova huffed, visibly exhausted after the whole ordeal. She hobbled over to the kitchen to take an Advil for the stiffness she was feeling. "You know you gotta be careful with that, you should just use the gym downstairs, that's why it's there. One of these days you are going to get mugged!" Robin nagged.

"They can't mug me if I don't carry anything on me" Nova said, throwing Robin a wink before she took a sip of water. "I'm just saying, you need to look after yourself" Robin urged. Nova waved her off and limped over to the couch.

Robin was in her chair reading a book and she glanced over at Nova when she plopped herself down. There was a moment of silence between them as Nova drummed her fingers against the arm rest. "How was the set today?" Nova asked, causally trying to make conversation.

Robin looked at Nova above the rim of her glasses and sighed. "What? I'm just asking you how your day was" Nova said innocently.

She knew that Robin didn't really like to talk about work, especially when she was working with the Jokers. Her and Pete McPartland had never really warmed up to each other and he had often fought her on most of her ideas for marketing the show. He was kind of old school and Robin was very much with the times so a lot of her ideas he didn't find necessary, especially if they costed money. The network was the one who brought her in so he had to deal with her whether he liked it or not. They could never really find a common ground.

"The permit for one of the filming locations fell through and I had already released the advertisement to get people to sign up for the fake focus group that they were suppose to be doing so Pete wasn't very happy with me today" Robin explained.

"Oh shit...I'm so sorry sweetie, did he blow a cork like last time?"

"Pretty much. He says I'm too trigger happy. Whatever that means. I mean they tell me the plan so I release the ad as soon as possible to make sure we have the best turn out and then they do something stupid by not making sure the location is secured and then I'm the one at fault. I feel like I just can't win here. Now every time I do anything geared to the public, they want me to run my whole business plan by the main producers which means they are going to tear up my whole approach."

"Ugh that sucks. Maybe you can talk to the network and see if you can get them to ease up on you a bit. I mean you are only there to help make the show a success" Nova suggested.

"No, the network is making me deal with it all. They don't want to hear it. All they care about is their ratings. You know you would think after how I filled every single one of those seats in all of those venues the guys preformed at on their tour, they would trust that I know what I'm doing and let me do my job" Robin complained.

"Yeah you would think" Nova said, unable to help the smile on her face. Even though her and Q had a falling out, she was happy that their tour went that well. She still wished them all the best, even if they were no longer in her life. She thought it was cool that they were on the brink of making a name for themselves.

Robin rolled her eyes and shook her head, letting her gaze follow back to her book. "Well, I'm going to head in for a shower, I'll see ya in a bit" Nova said as she made a move to stand up.

"Here, let me help you" Robin said as she put a marker in her book and moved to go help Nova.

"No it's okay, I got it" Nova said, waving Robin off.

"No, let me help, I insist, I don't want you to hurt yourself" Robin said, blowing off Nova's wishes.

"No Robin, seriously, it's okay, I got it" Nova tried again, but Robin didn't listen and grabbed her by her elbow.

"Robin, I got it! I'm okay!" Nova repeated, this time with a firmness in her voice that she didn't use often. Robin backed off and looked at Nova as if she were taken back by her words.

"I'm sorry, I'm just sick of not being able to do anything for so long. I know you want to help but just please, let me do this" Nova back tracked her words, feeling bad that she reacted so strongly.

"Okay okay, I just worry about you that's all" Robin said, still standing on top of Nova as she got up, just in case she needed help.

Nova hissed from the pain but she was able to successfully get up by herself, it just took her a minute.

"See, I'm fine" Nova showed Robin. She gave Robin a look of assurance and Robin gave her a nod once she saw that she really was okay and sat back down to her book. Nova hobbled to her bedroom to get her clothes. She heard Robin call out one more time that she was right there if she needed anything.

As much as Nova appreciated it, she was getting to the point where she was done having everyone being so attentive to her. She felt like if she continued to let everyone do things for her, then it was going to take her that much longer to fully be back on her feet and Nova just didn't have time for that. As much as she enjoyed living with her best friend, it was starting to get old and even though Nova would never confront her, Robin was starting to get on her nerves.

It was hard enough sitting back and letting people take care of her but now she was getting to the point where it was time to try and do things on her own and Robin made that very difficult. At times it felt very controlling and like Robin just didn't trust her judgement on anything. It was almost like Robin had a plan for just about every movement she did through out the day. She knew for that reason, Nova would not be able to live with Robin forever and it made her really miss her quiet apartment when she lived by herself.

This new life was starting to get old.

When Nova made it to her room, she automatically went to her phone to check her messages, like she always did whenever she was away from her phone for a period of time. She had a couple of texts from her mom and one of her buddies at the Star, and also a missed call from a number she didn't recognize.

Nova couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "Oh course, the moment I'm away from my phone, everyone and their best friend wants to talk" She said to herself, shaking her head. She responded to the text to her mom first and then studied the number that called her. Oddly enough it was the same area code that Q had and her heart jumped at the thought. She dialed her voicemail to listen to the message.

"Good evening, this is Geoff Celis from TruTV, I am trying to reach Nova Brady. I received your business card from Pete McPartland. If you could give me a call back, my office number is 321-098-7654, I was told that you were the one who did all of the promo shots for season 3 of Impractical Jokers and I would like to talk to you about a few things. I'll be looking out for your call, talk to you then."

Nova's heart practically jumped out of her chest. What on Earth could this Geoff Celis guy want to talk to her about? That shoot was almost six months ago! Aside from the Jokers, the last time she had heard anything from the network was when they reviewed her images.

Nova was about to call out to Robin to see what she thought about the message but then stopped herself. Robin was very touchy when it came to anything with that show and it was awkward to talk with her about any of it, especially with her history with Q. Deep down she had a feeling that Robin for whatever reason, would react negatively and not approve of her calling this guy back.

She decided that she was just going to have to find out for herself what this Mr. Geoff Celis wanted to to talk to her about...

(I know this one was kind of a shorty, but there is alot that I want to focus on in the next chapter)


	21. You Can't Bull Shit A Bull Shitter

It took Nova a while to call Geoff back. The moment that she heard that he was calling from TruTV, her heart skipped a beat and all she could think about was Q. Even though she didn't know what this Geoff character wanted, judging by his message she had a feeling that they were going to be in need of her services again. She remembered what Murr had said after she turned over her images from the original session she had done with the Jokers, that if they liked her work, more than likely they would bring her in again in the future. 

Which means that they liked her work!

But that would mean that they would want to use her with something related to the show and that would place Q right back in her life. They left off so horribly, Nova wondered if she was ready to see him again. She thought that maybe potentially working on his show was going to be too much. 

But then her logical side would kick in, screaming at her that this is the kind of opportunity she had been waiting for, and it seriously couldn't have came at a better time! 

She loved Robin, but being at her mercy and under her thumb and constantly being in her lime light was starting to make Nova resent their friendship. She knew that it was just because they were together all the time and Robin had a certain air about her that sometimes made her better to deal with in small doses. Once Nova was able to get fully back on her feet and back into her own apartment she was sure things would go back to normal and those feelings would reside. 

The pro's were seriously out weighing the cons, and if taking this meeting meant that she was going to have to see Q again, well then he better get over it because she wasn't going to let anyone take this away from her. 

That is why she called Geoff back. 

That is why she avoided telling Robin and asked Violet to give her a ride to Staten Island.

That is why she was now sitting outside Geoff's office in the TruTV building.

And that is why she was nervously picking at a piece of fringe off of her purse while the secretary outside the door politely smiled at her. 

She owed it to herself to see what Geoff had to say. After everything she had been though, she believed that she deserved this opportunity, and no one was going to tell her otherwise. 

As Nova was sitting there waiting, she was giving herself pep talks on what she had wanted to say. She had her lap top with her and on it she had her portfolio modified and polished, ready to show off, in case they needed to see it again. She was nervous but she felt ready, that was until the next set of events bulldozed her way.

Nova was getting ready to pull out her phone to pass time when she began to hear loud and boisterous laughing. She didn't think anything of it as it sounded just sounded like some coworkers laughing about an inside joke. She opened up her phone and started scrolling through her social media accounts when the voices were getting louder and louder. 

One of the voices started to sound oddly familiar and it made her pick up her head. 

"No fucking way" She thought to herself. It was at that moment when four of the last men she had ever wanted to see came barreling around the corner. They were all still full of smiles and just as cheerful as Nova had remembered when they were all together. 

Nova's mouth dropped along with her heart and her eyes grew wide. She could hear her heart beating loud and booming in her ears. Out of all the men who were still too roped up in their own conversation to notice her, she could only focus on one. 

Brian Quinn. 

Nova watched him as if there was nothing in the world that could pull her focus away. He had the same reaction when he finally noticed she was sitting there.

And damn! He looked so good!

"Hey, isn't that Nova?" Murr asked under his breath, only to be back handed in the shoulder by Sal. Q froze for a moment but his buddies urged him to move forward, as hard as it was for him to process seeing her again after all of this time. 

They were so caught up in each other's presence, it was like the rest of the world faded out. Nova couldn't even process the other three jokers being there. 

She didn't notice Murr turning his attention away and avoiding her as if she were some sort of criminal.

She didn't notice Joe look at her awkwardly and for once in his life, suddenly not have a thing to say and resorted to giving her a polite wave. 

And she certainly didn't notice the nasty and hateful look Sal gave her the whole time they were passing through, that would have made her feel lower than a cockroach if she did.

The only set of eyes she could process right now were the sweet, brown doe eyes of Brian Quinn. 

He was looking at her as if she were a ghost, wide eyed and in pure shock to see her. There were so many feelings that each of them had buried since their last encounter, the suddenness of all of them resurfacing all at once made the air thick with tension and hard to breathe. They continued to stare at each other the whole time they were in the same hallway, Q even looking over his shoulder and walking backwards as if he were still in disbelief that she was there. 

After they were gone and out of sight, Nova took a deep shaky breath to try and compose herself. 

"Miss Brady?" The secretary in the waiting area said, practically making Nova jump out of her skin. She quickly turned her head and remembered why she was there in the first place. 

"Mr. Celis and his associates are ready to see you" She said in a light and cheery voice, obviously not having a clue what just happened. 

Nova stood up and took another deep breath. "I...I need a moment...Where is the ladies room?"

10 minutes and a very reassuring self pep talk later, Nova was sitting in Geoff Celis's office along with another man and woman that Nova had never seen before. Judging on the way they were dressed, they looked like a big deal to the network. 

After doing the initial meet and greets, Nova learned that the woman's name was Marsha Ballard and the man's name was Chris Bozak and they were both managers/producers of the show. As Nova made her way over to the chair their directed her in, she caught on how their eyes shifted to her leg as she hobbled into the office. 

"Thank you so much for meeting us here on such sudden notice" Chris began.

"The reason why we asked you here today is because we are expanding our art department of the show and we have been put in charge of bringing in new team members to help out with various jobs on set. Now I know that you have done some work with us before and actually Pete McPartland gave us a strong recommendation to give you a call and see if you would be interested."

Nova blinked and raised her eye brows. "Me? Wow, that's so nice of him. I'm flattered that you guys reached out to me. What exactly would you need me for?" Nova asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

This time Marsha stepped in. 

"Well we saw your work from the promo shoot so I'm assuming photography is your specialty?" She said with an assuring smile. 

"Yes, photography is everything to me. I have a copy of my resume, as you can see I have done a lot of jobs related to the field and I am confident that I can take on just about any kind of session" Nova said sounding very sure of herself as she slid over a copy of her resume for them. 

As they each took turns looking it over, Nova took the opportunity to boot up her computer and open her her picture file where she had samples of all her best work. 

Just like Nova was hoping, they ate everything up. She got very positive remarks on her pictures and they even said her resume was impressive. 

"So, basically what we would like your main job to be is to take pictures on the set of the Impractical Jokers TV show and to help the art department with whatever they need. Even though everyone has a specific job here, we all pitch in and help each other out where ever it is needed. We would have someone train you basically on what it is like to set up for a day of shooting and to help with the production end of things. When we are not filming you would be here at the network, either editing what you shot or helping out in other areas of production, whatever is high priority" Chris explained. 

"Wow, that actually sounds like it would be a lot of fun, would it just be for the Impractical Jokers set or if it for the network in general?" Nova asked. 

"We may have you jump around to other floors but your primary home would be Impractical Jokers. Like I said, you will be trained so you are well rounded to help out where ever we need you the most" Geoff answered her question. 

Nova was trying to contain her excitement so she didn't seem over eager. She cleared her throat and said as modest as possible "Well that all sounds great...What is the compensation?"

Marsha smiled at her answer and Geoff looked at Chris to answer this one. 

"You will get a starting salary of 850 a week, plus and extra 300 for every episode where you are physically on set. you will also be getting a 1500$ Christmas bonus at the end of every year."

Nova had to fight herself to not yell out "SOLD" at his response. 850 a week! That was more than she had ever made at any job! And the fact that it was solid work and no such thing as a busy or a slow season made it all that much worth it. Q and her would just have to learn to coexist with each other.

"Wow, I gotta say, I'm interested" Nova said honestly. The three faces that sat before her all looked pleased with her answer. 

"That's great! We are going to be shooting an episode next Tuesday. Would you be free to start then? We could start going over some basics with you and then give you a camera and see what you can do" Geoff said, writing something down on his clip board. 

They had Nova confirm that all of her information was correct and then they told her that they would be emailing her a bunch of paper work to fill out as well as an on boarding process to get her started. She agreed that she would show up to the filming site next Tuesday by 8am and that they would pair her with a trainer by the name of Allison Lane and she would show her everything she needed to know. 

Nova thanked the three of them up and down for their time and shook each of their hands. By the time Nova walked out of their office, she was so giddy about everything that just happened, she almost forgot about running into Q and the guys earlier before she went in. 

 

"Look, I'm sure that she was just here in regards to the shoot she did for us at the beginning of the season" Joe said, trying to comfort Q who looked like he was ready for a stiff drink. 

The moment after the guys turned the corner out of Nova's view, they immediately pulled him Q into the nearest empty conference room for an intervention. 

"Man she looked so pretty" Q said with sad eyes, not picking his gaze up to meet any one of his friends. 

"Uh uh, no way Q! Snap outta it! Remember what that hoe did to you?! I certainly do! She cheated on you and then when you called her out on it she got herself hit by a bus and made it seem like it was your fault! Stay away from her man, she's just a pretty face, that's it!" Sal said leaning down and getting in Brian's face.

"She got hit by a bus?" Murr questioned, totally missing the point Sal was trying to make. 

Sal threw Murr a look before turning his attention back to Brian. "Look, I know it has been a few months and you guys did have good chemistry at the time, but so did all of us and all of our ex's. It ended for a reason bro! You gotta let her go! Just move on!"

Joe who had been staying quiet this whole time, looked at Sal as if he didn't know what he was talking about. Usually when Sal went on rants like this, the best thing to do was to let him get it out of his system if it wasn't the time to pick at him and make it worse. He wasn't exactly against Sal but being the one who had had the most luck when it came to love out of the four of them, he saw things a little bit differently. 

Brian looked torn. He heard what Sal was saying, he really did and he knew that he was probably right. Seeing Nova threw him totally off guard, he was doing so good, it had been weeks since he seriously thought about her and now every thought and memory came crashing back to him at full force, it was over whelming. 

"I know, I know. I guess I just wasn't prepared for this. I think I'm gonna take off early guys...I need...I need to clear my head" Q said, letting out a deep breath. 

Sal eyed Q as if he were trying to find something in that sentence that he might have to potentially worry about and then decided to let him go. He figured he would probably go home, maybe have a drink or two, play some video games, cuddle with his cats and then sleep it off and come back the next day good as new. 

They agreed that they would all see each other tomorrow and then exited their separate ways out of the conference room. When Q was far enough away from Sal and Murr, but not too far away from Joe, he quickly powered walked in Q's direction and called out his name. 

Q turned around and let Joe catch up to him.

"Look man, I know Sal is your buddy but I can't help but wonder if you are looking at this all wrong" Joe began.

Q blinked at him and pulled his eyebrows to the center of his forehead in confusion.

"I'm not siding with anyone and I didn't want to say anything before because you didn't look like you were in the shape to hear it but you know, you never did get Nova's side of the story that night when everything happened."

"What the fuck you talkin' about? I saw her with a guy in her apartment. Why are you even telling me this now?" Q asked. 

"Ohh stop, don't get pissy, I'm just saying you never got Nova's side of the story, you know maybe what happened wasn't what you think it was. I mean she did chase after you barefoot to try to explain. She always seemed like a pretty down to Earth chick to me, I don't think she would have tried so hard if she knew she had something to be guilty of" Joe said honestly.

Q looked around as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He let out a chuckle because he simply didn't know what else to do. "And you are telling me this now?" Q said running a hand through his hair. 

"Well it didn't hit me until after the fact, after I had time to think about it. To be honest I thought you's would have made up and got back together but then you were such a wreck I was afraid to say anything" Joe explained. 

"So why now?"

"Because my friend, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and if not well I still kinda think you owe it to her to hear her out. If not her, then definitely yourself. Especially if you are still this messed up over her."

"What? I'm not messed up over her! It's been-" Q began but Joe cut him off. 

"Q...Buddy, come on. You literally just fell apart at the sight of her. Come on man, don't bull shit a bull shitter" Joe said with a smile as if he got him there. 

Q took a deep breath as Joe's words played on him. 

"Alright man, I'll sleep on it. Thank you" Q responded, not knowing what else to say. Once Joe felt that Q had heard him out, they said their goodbyes and then Q was alone. 

He was definitely going to ponder on Joe's words of advice, Sal's too. He still didn't know who was right out of the two of them, they both had pretty loaded arguments but Q knew at the end of the day he would need to do what was right for him. Even though Nova hurt him pretty bad, he couldn't help but wonder if Joe was right and if he had been to hasty this whole time. 

"Wouldn't that be some shit" Q thought to himself.

If it were any other girl, he would say forget about it and move on, but Nova...Nova had something special. She always did. He could honestly say out of all the girls he had ever been with, he never met anyone like her. She was the only one who didn't make him feel like she had anything to gain by being with him. They could share genuine conversations about anything and he never felt like she was trying too hard or just agreeing with whatever he said to try and force their bond. 

She was just her. 

The more Q thought about what Joe said, the more foolish he felt for letting her go so easily and for not trying to get to the bottom of what was going on when she did everything in her power to try to get him to hear her.

Q had a feeling he wouldn't be doing much 'sleeping' tonight....

 

Sal was fuming after his conversation with Brian. He loved his friend so much and he hated to see him in such pain over a girl. A stupid girl who was no one. A girl that he didn't even date long enough to be having these feelings over. 

It got him all fired up again about what Nova did to him. How dare she! How dare she do what she did and then have the balls to come back on THEIR turf for...

For what?

Sal got to thinking of all the reasons that she could have possibly been there. He hadn't heard of anything from the grape vine that they were going to be taking more photos of them so why else was she here? 

One thing he knew for certain. Brian did not take break ups well and they always destroyed him, leaving Sal to be the one to see him through it and pick up the pieces. That is why Brian was usually the one who stayed single and just enjoyed the company for his cats and his friends. He was a hard lover when things were going well but when they ended things would get so bad that Sal was afraid he would do something destructive, and he usually did.

Sal couldn't come up with a concrete reason as to why she was here but he was Sal Vulcano after all. One of the faces of TruTV, definitely a somebody at this network and in general, who had the power to pull strings. He knew all he had to do was ask around and he would get his answer...


	22. Battle of The Bitches

The rest of the week flew by pretty quickly and before she knew it, it was Nova's night to preform at The Haunted Star. 

And it was going to be a crazy night! There was some big shot senator sitting in the big house section that Mr. Lucas really wanted to impress so he was pulling out all the stops. Apparently this guy and his party were paying big money to rent that section out and they weren't exactly a dry bunch so money was flowing into the business. 

Mr. Lucas was being pretty snappy to the wait staff and even to some of the entertainment, which was rare considering he usually had such a sweet disposition, but because of that it increased the pressure that everyone was feeling. 

Even Nova, who he asked to sing a few extra songs throughout the night instead of her normal two, he was being short with. She when she arrived for work that day, she came in and went to greet him with her usual kiss and hug, when she saw he was hovering over the kitchens. He was barking out orders and being very particular on how everything was being prepped. He didn't exactly snap at her, but she knew him long enough now to know when the time came to stay clear of him. 

Nova agreed to sing two extra songs which was double than what she normally sang, but Mr. Lucas rarely asked her for favors. Her knee was still in pretty rough shape and it wasn't impossible for her to stand, but after rushing around and only having twenty minutes between her first two sets, it became difficult for her to move around. 

She had been taking piano lessons from her friend ever since she was released from the hospital. She was starting to get pretty decent to where her songs didn't sound as choppy as they did in the beginning so she decided that she was going to finish her last song of the night on piano. She knew that it would mean a lot to Mr. Lucas and she had practiced her song over and over again so she felt confident. Even though she knew it was a bit of a gamble, considering she was still new to it, she felt that it was an easy enough tune that she could pull it off. 

Plus she always had the band ready for back up if she bombed it. 

Jimmy was on stage playing his variation of "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" while Nova sat behind the curtain waiting her turn. She was wearing a short silver dress that lit up like a disco ball when the light hit it, with a pair of matching flats. Heels nowadays were impossible, giving her new restrictions and she gave up on them long ago.

She still had one more song to go through before she had her big moment behind the piano and she nervously shifted in her seat, adjusting the knee brace she had to wear. It was more packed than usual tonight and she could hear some of the senator's guest starting to get a little rowdy so she was feeling a little uneasy. 

She didn't even notice Mr. Lucas standing off to the side of her, until she smelt the familiar rustic scent of his cigar. She looked up and smiled at him and caught on that he was giving a peculiar look back and forth between her and Jimmy.

Before she could say anything, Mr. Lucas said in his raspy Brooklynn accent "You know, between you and Jim, you guys sure know how to win a crowd."

"Well, Jimmy is pretty talented" Nova said, trying to be polite.

Mr. Lucas had no clue that she thought Jimmy was a total dog and hopefully he never would. Nova would feel weird telling him that they used to have a thing, if you would even call it that. He was like her grandfather and that was a conversation that was just better left not had. Plus she didn't want him to think bad of her for having relations with what was pretty much a coworker. 

And he was the boss after all. Bless his heart.

"You know, you two have been preforming here for so long now, I know Jim is going on at least seven years, your what...3? 4? Maybe it's time we get you two together on stage, see what you can do....I bet you's would really blow the roof off this place".

Nova snapped her head in Mr. Lucas's direction so quick, she could have given herself whiplash. "Uhh...Well Jimmy and I sing two totally different styles of music...I don't think it would work" She tried to stammer up an excuse.

There was no way in hell that she would willingly get on a stage with him. If them two were to do an act together, that would mean that there would be rehearsal time involved and Nova didn't want to be anywhere near him. Ever since that night at her apartment, he skeeved her out so much, there was no way she would ever be able to look at him the same way again. 

"More of the reason why I think it would be great! Think of the collaboration! With your set of pipes and his stage performance, I definitely see some headliners in your future...And I'm never wrong about these things..." Mr. Lucas went on, looking away as if he were envisioning their future. 

"We'll see" Nova said rolling her eyes and shaking her head, hoping he would just drop it. Luckily she heard someone page Mr. Lucas to the dining hall, forcing their conversation to end. Jimmy was just finishing up his set and Nova stood up to swish some water in her mouth before she went on. 

She was starting to wish that it was with something stronger, judging by the roar of the audience that jimmy got. She never did good with bigger crowds and this time it wasn't full of her usual sweet old ladies and proper older men. 

With the way the stage was set up, when Jimmy exited they were forced to pass each other and Nova was holding onto the edge of the table. Her knee was now throbbing and it was hard to stand up straight without losing her balance. 

He paused before he walked past her and usually they just ignored each other, but this time Jimmy just couldn't help himself. He paused and smirked at her, only to receive a glare from Nova. 

That had a brief stare down and as uncomfortable as that made Nova feel, she stood her ground (to the best of her ability) and hardened her stare, not letting him intimidate her. 

She was about to ask him what his deal was when in a malicious manor he said "Break a leg".

Nova blinked at his words and before she could respond he slid past her, almost knocking into her shoulder. She turned around and shot him a dirty look as he walked back behind the curtain. 

"What an asshole" Nova thought to herself. She took a deep breath and tried to shake off what just happened, throwing on a fake smile and hobbling out on the stage. 

Ignoring the cat calls she was now getting, she took her seat on the stool that they had brought out for her and began to sing her song. 

Tonight there was a slight stiffness in her voice, due to her nerves and thanks to the Jimmy run in she just had with him. She just wanted to ring his little neck more than anything but she knew that for now she would have to just let it go. She hoped that Mr. Lucas would forget about what he said about them two performing together and never bring it up again. 

She knew that it was unlikely that he would, considering that whenever he got a hair up his ass about anything on the entertainment side, he always did see it through. Perhaps if Jimmy weren't such a jerk maybe they could have been good together on stage, but as of right now she was hoping that they would never find out. She felt awkward just thinking about it. 

Once she finished her song, the audience gave her a loud cheer with more volume than she was used to. There was so much booze flowing throughout the dining room, Nova could actually smell it when she was walking off of the stage. She was hoping that this night wouldn't drive away any of the existing clientele that usually came. Even though most performers would have loved this much hype after their act, it made Nova uneasy simply because she wasn't used to it. 

Nova had a solid thirty minutes before her last act, so she was able to fully change and redo her make up to match her outfit. For this one, she chose to wear a short red dress with a beautiful beaded neckline and she let her hair down. She did her make up, using glitter to accent her eyes and then she still had some time to kill so she sat at her mirror and tapped on the counter as if she were practicing her keys for the piano. 

Going through each note by note, she was focused on remembering where each key was, so focused that she didn't notice a dark figure standing off behind her left shoulder. 

Nova tapped a few more notes on the edge of the counter and then practically jumped out of her skin when a thick envelope cut across her vision and smacked down on the table in front of her. She jerked her head up with wide eyes, and saw standing in front of her, the last person she had ever thought she would see in this setting. 

"Sal? What are you doing here?!" She questioned, surprised as ever to see him. He stood there for a moment and looked at her. Nova was having a hard time reading his expression and her heart was still racing from how he decided to get her attention. 

"How did you even get back here?" Nova asked, looking around him to see if anyone was there. 

Sal's eyes darted in every direction. He looked nervous but he tightened up his expression and narrowed his eyes. "There's five grand in there, you can count it. Five grand and the number of a buddy of mine that is big in the world of fashion. He works with Runway Magazine, call him and he will give you a job behind the camera" he said short and to the point. 

Nova's eyes went wide. She looked down at the envelope and then back to Sal as if he were insane. "I don't understand" she said, still trying to get over the shock of the spontaneity of what was going on. 

Sal looked as if he didn't have time for this. "Look, I want you to stay away from the show and leave Brian alone, don't take the job! I know I must sound like the biggest prick right now but I'm just trying to look out for my friend here, you really broke his heart and it is going to break him again if he has to see you on set every day. There's five grand in there to make up for your time and a really good job opportunity so you are still gaining something. Just take it and stay the hell away! Trust me, ya did enough." Sal said, throwing some sass in at the end.

Nova drew her head back in disgust that he felt that he could talk to her like this. Especially after not knowing the full story. The nerve!

And for him to think that he could pay her off to make her disappear like she was some hussy?! She didn't care how good of a job or how much money was in that envelope. She had gotten this job all on her own! Fair and square! There was no way in hell that she would ever give Sal or anyone for that matter, the ability to say that she owed her success to anyone but herself, especially with the way he was acting. 

She slowly stood up to face him and scoffed. "Okay, okay. I get that you and Brian have been friends for a very long time and you are just trying to look out for him, but with all due respect, maybe you AND BRIAN should get your facts straight before you come at me like I'm some home wrecker! I'm not the enemy here! I have no intention of screwing with Brian's life and despite everything we went through, I do still wish him the best, not that any part of what happened between us is your business." Nova stood up for herself. 

"Actually it is very much my business. I was the one to pick up the pieces of the horrible mess you left behind. I always do! Just please, you don't understand, I don't know what your trying to accomplish here but Brian can't go through this...Not again. Just leave him alone, take the job that I stuck my neck out to get for you and go about your merry way" Sal said, almost as if he were trying to be sincere. 

"Does Brian know you are here? Because I can't imagine that he would be happy if he knew what you were doing right now" Nova said as she quirked an eyebrow. 

"Sweethawt, you don't know what your getting yourself into" Sal began with a fake smile and then quickly got serious. "I will bury you the first chance I get. I will make your life a living hell on set. You have no clue who you are dealing with here"

Nova gave him a look up and down and crossed her arms as if he wasn't shit. "Well obviously I can't be dealing with anything too terrible if you can't even remove me off of YOUR OWN SHOW yourself! I guess you don't have as much power as you think you do"

Sal gritted his teeth through pursed lips and clenched his out stretched hand that he was using to make gestures as he talked. Nova stared back at him, feeling the warmth of her fury spread from her face down to her neck. She knew that she was potentially playing with fire, but she would never show that hand, especially not to Sal Vulcano who was now glaring daggers at her. 

Nova took his silence as an opportunity to snatch the envelope that he threw at her earlier and tossed it back at him. "You can keep your money and you can take that job opportunity and shove it up your ass! The answer is NO! Now get away from me before I call security" Nova threatened. 

"Alright, alright. I tried to give you a way out. Can't say I didn't warn you. If you change your mind, you know how to get ahold of me" Sal said smugly. 

Nova was about ready to fire back at him but paused when she heard her name being announced to perform next. She turned and looked back at Sal who was already walking away. "Fucking jerk" Nova muttered before she limped her way to the stage. 

She paused for a moment when she got to the curtain and took a deep breath. If only she had even just five more minutes to prepare herself. Her hands were shaking and she still felt riled up from her confrontation with Sal. She wished that he could have waited till after her set to rip into her the way he did. 

Nova quickly tried to get him out of her mind the best she could and she pushed herself to walk out, slapping on a fake smile.

After giving the crowd a little wave, the way they roared back at her made her feel like she was going out there for the first time again. As she limped over to the piano, she realized that the noise was mostly coming from one section, and that was Mr. Lucas's special guests. 

When Nova sat down on the bench, she bumped her chin on the mike, causing a dull thudding noise to echo throughout the dining area. Quickly placing her hand on the base to steady it, she finally sat down and pulled the mike down to her face. 

Taking another deep breath, her hands found the keys, but that's about all they did. Nova stared down at the piano and suddenly could not remember the first few notes of her song. There was an awkward silence that filled the room as Nova fought with herself to try and get her brain to work and remember the damn keys!

She realized that not only had she forgotten her notes, she had forgotten the lyrics as well... 

Her and Sal's little argument they had before she went on gave her no time to mentally prep herself, all she could think about was the hateful look in his eyes and the nasty words he said about how this was all going to effect her new job opportunity. 

Her brain was not understanding that now was not the time to dwell on all of this.

Nova's breath caught in her throat as her audience grew impatient and for the first time since she had started performing, she was getting booed. 

The boo's were surrounding her, suffocating her, causing Nova's brain to fully shut down. She desperately looked up at one of the band members for help and he aggressively mouthed to her "Play something!"

Nova who was now shaking like a leaf, began to play total nonsense on the piano, hoping that a tune would click and she could get her song at least started but her mind was still blank. 

Now the crowd was turning vicious. People were standing up out of their seats, screaming at her to get off stage as if she said something offensive and Nova started to hyperventilate. She turned to look at the audience, blinded by the stage lights she could only make out silhouettes of people moving around. Pretty soon the silhouettes turned to monsters and Nova knew she had to get out of there. 

She made a move to get up off the bench but her knee gave out and she landed on the floor with her arms stretched out in front of her. She had never dealt with an audience that was so unruly, it must have been from all the booze. Instead of showing the slightest bit of concern, they continued to attack her. Nova heard some people yelling at her, some people yelling at the people who were yelling at her, and then it all just turned to noise that she couldn't make out. 

It was when she began to cry that she felt a pair of strong arms grip around her biceps and lift her up to her feet. She had no clue who it was that helped her, but she was grateful they did. This was by far the worst experience she had ever had on stage, and it was all because of Sal. 

Her rescuer guided her over to a chair and made her sit down. Nova let them lead her and when she looked up she was faced with the last person she had ever thought would help her in a crisis. 

It was Jimmy. 

"Nova, you got to breathe" Jimmy told her, pulling up a chair next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. She didn't realize she was in full panic attack mode until he said that. 

She let out a strangled cry and gripped Jimmy's dress shirt. "Come on, you're okay, breathe with me, in and out, in and out" He continued to try and help her, flattening her hand on his chest. 

After a few more cries, Nova had finally gotten a grip on herself. "Here, drink this" Jimmy said as he handed her a bottle of water. Nova grabbed it from him and chugged it, streams dribbling down her neck. 

"I...I...I don't know what happened...I..I couldn't remember my notes...My words...I just..." Nova trailed on, looking past Jimmy as she went through the past series of events. 

"You choked...You bombed...You screwed up" Jimmy said bluntly. "We have all done it, it happens. Crowds can be assholes sometimes, especially this one. They don't realize what it takes to go out there" Jimmy explained, being oddly nice to her. It was weird after not talking to him for so long. 

Nova took another drink and dried her tears. "Ugh! What is wrong with those people! They are still going at it" Nova said angrily as she could still hear the crowd through the curtains. "Thank you for...Doing what you did" Nova said sincerely, simply because she felt that she had to. If he hadn't helped her, she could have still been out there looking like stage roadkill as the crowd turned ugly. 

Jimmy looked at her in pity just before he saw in the distance, Mr. Lucas making his way over. He looked back at Nova and stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be okay kid" He said before he left her side to meet Mr. Lucas. 

"Jimmy, help Rodney close the curtains, I'm shutting us down for the night. This has gotten way outta hand" Mr. Lucas ordered. Jimmy ran off to go do as he was told and Mr. Lucas rushed up to Nova. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking as if he were truly worried about Nova. Nova gave him a nod and he reached down to give her a hug. "I'm so sorry sweetie, Don't listen to them. They are all a bunch of low life's and I am banning them from ever coming back, are you sure you're okay?" Mr. Lucas asked her again, looking concerned. 

"I'm okay, I mean despite everything, I will be okay...I think my knee has had enough tonight though" Nova said blandly. 

"Let me wrap this up and kick these guys outta here and I'll be back to call you a cab...Please let me. It's the least I could do."

For once Nova didn't argue and she just nodded her head. Her spirit was too worn down tonight to be too proud for a kind gesture. Plus a cab sounded way better than waiting around for Heather to come pick her up. 

Nova took a deep breath and now that she was alone, she thought about what Sal said. Maybe it was a little brazen of her to take this job, knowing that she would be back around Q. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss him and even though she knew in her heart that it wasn't her fault that they broke up, she still felt sorry for him after hearing Sal say how rough he took it. 

She liked to think that everything happened for a reason and maybe this would bring her the chance to properly explain her side to Q. She knew that what had happened between them looked bad on her part and even if there was no chance of them getting back together, she would hope that they could eventually work out a friendship. 

If he would hear her...

Only time would tell but one thing she knew for sure, no matter how hard Sal's threats were, she still deserved this and she was not taking this job to be closer to Brian Quinn.

She was going to take this job for herself.


	23. Just Do It

Pretty soon it was time for Nova to start her first day on set. After a good long cry, she had put everything that happened at the Star behind her and braced herself for the first day of working as a set photographer, and she was excited! That whole week, she dreamed out about all the wonderful photos she would take and all the doors this would open for her. 

As excited as she was about photographing the Jokers, she was even more excited for the moment where they would let her branch out and work for other TV shows on the network. Before, Nova wasn't really a big T.V. person, but now that she had this opportunity, she took it upon herself to start watching TRUTV regularly. She began to fall in love with other programs that they had to offer, such as The Carbonero Effect and Adam Ruins Everything. Even if it was a show she didn't particularly care for, she would leave it on as background noise while she was cleaning or playing around on her phone, just to get familiar with it. 

Nova was so excited, she didn't even think about what it would be like to run into Brian. 

Nova confidently strolled up to Central Park, in search of where the IJ crew was setting up. She had taken a cab to the location so she wouldn't wear out her knee too soon and followed the directions to the site that were given to her on an email. When she found the place she was looking for, she walked up, looking around to see who she needed to talk to. 

She was suppose to report to a woman by the name of Allison Lane. They had never spoken in person before, only through email, and Nova was beginning to feel the first set of jitters that one would naturally feel being the new kid on the block. Nova scanned her eyes through a crowd of people who looked too busy to notice her, wondering which one could be Allison. She stopped a man that was carrying a monitor and asked him if he could tell him who Allison was. 

Before the man could answer, a thin and spunky looking girl popped her head up and cheerfully said "That's me! I'm Allison, you must be Nova! Welcome aboard!" 

Nova smiled and before she could say anything, Allison ran over and gave her a big welcoming hug. Taking Nova off guard, she wasn't expecting such a warm welcome and she wrapped her arms around Allison, feeling her nerves die down. 

"Thank you so much for coming today! I'm so happy to see you, gosh you are beautiful! I'm so excited to have another girl on the team!" Allison said with joy. 

"Aww thank you so much! I'm sorry I'm a few minutes late, I haven't physically been in Central Park too many times so I got a little lost" Nova replied sheepishly. 

"No biggie! Happens all the time, you will get used to it. We shoot here a lot. With this being such a big tourist attraction it's one of the better places to shoot because a lot of people don't recognize the guys. Anyway, I'm happy you're here! Just stick by me and I'll show ya the ropes."

Nova smiled. Despite the warning that Sal gave her, she was starting to feel very good about the decision she made. Allison pulled her along and started to introduce her to the crew that she would be working with.

Quite a few of the crew members she had recognized from the photo shoot she did for the show at the network building and likewise, they remembered her as well. There were few new faces as well that Nova politely introduced herself to. All in all she was feeling good vibes from everyone, especially Allison. 

Allison was something else. She had such an energy about her where she made you feel like you had been best friends for life. She was so welcoming and so bubbly, Nova could tell that because of her personality that she was very respected and everyone loved her. She was very energenic and sassy. As they worked Nova could just feel that there was something good blossoming between them. 

After all of the introductions, Allison gave her a short tour of what the set looks like and where each station is when they are preparing for a day of filming. She then had Nova help her run cords from the vans to the main control area, carefully explaining what each cord did and where it was plugged into. Nova was familiar with some of them from when she used to take photos at dance competitions. 

The Joker's hadn't arrived just yet, but they would be there soon. Allison explained that they usually don't show up until about an hour before they officially start. They used to help out on set but after two seasons of being on TV, people would begin to recognize them and then become bothersome while they were trying to set up so Pete and the other set directors made it a rule that they were no longer aloud to come during set up time. It made perfect sense to Nova and she was happy that she still had a little more time before she had to face Q.

She wondered if there were many people that she was now working with that knew about what happened between her and Q. She knew that Q talked to a few people from the crew but she wasn't sure how close they were and if it was enough to spread news like that. Plus, Nova and Brian's time together usually consisted of him showing up at her house late at night after the network so they weren't really in the public eye that much with each other. So far no one gave her the impression that they knew, which Nova was grateful for. 

After they were done running cords, Allison brought Nova over to a table that had about 10-15 small GoPro cameras on it. She explained that these were the cameras that were given out to everyone to capture bonus footage or to have extra angles if needed. Everyone that had anything to do with film was assigned one, including Nova, and one of Nova's tasks that she would have to do every day would be to get these cameras set up and ready to go.

This consisted of making sure that all the batteries were charged, white balancing and color correction was set, making sure they were synced with the sound board and keeping a log of who had what camera. She also was going to be the one to make sure all the cameras came back and were put away in their proper place.

Amongst all the GoPro's was also the photo camera that Nova would be taking pictures with when it was that time. Once Allison told her this, Nova couldn't help the happy noise that came out of her mouth as she reached out to grab the camera. She held it in her hands and as she felt the weight of it, she wanted to cry. It had been a while since she had been able to take pictures of anything, this was actually the first time that she had held a camera since her accident. 

She wanted to rub her face against it and hold it to her chest, but refrained from doing so, not wanting to look like a weirdo in front of Allison. Allison gave her a tutorial of what to do on the first camera and then she was able to take off and do what she had to do while Nova got busy.

Nova began to tend to each camera just as Allison instructed. She was about three cameras in when she heard some commotion going on behind her and she turned around to see that the that all of the jokers had arrived. With wide eyes she turned back around and acted like she was working hard on setting up the cameras, meanwhile she was dying on the inside. 

She saw Brian but he didn't see her, and he looked as good as ever! He was wearing his fireman shirt and no hat this time, but his hair and beard had gotten a little longer since she had last seen him and it looked good on him. She continued to her task and tensed up when she felt someone tap on her shoulder....

 

Brian and Sal drove together to the shoot that they were doing today in central park. Brian was on pins and needles about seeing Nova on the set today and was eager to get it over and done with. He had caught word that Nova was now going to be working with them (mostly from Sal) and even though he was happy for her, at the same time he wished that she could have found employment else where. 

"I'll just say hi to her, just so things aren't as awkward" Brian said out loud, reasoning with himself. "Uhh no! Brian you don't owe her anything! This is your show, your deal! The only one who should be feeling awkward is her" Sal snapped back. Sal was extremely agitated that his friend had to go through this and how entitled Nova came off that night when he tried to convince her not to take the job. 

Sal had decided that he wasn't going to go out of his way to fuck with her, that it would not be worth his time or energy but that didn't mean that he was planning on being friendly towards her or give her the time of day. He still thought very little of her after what he understood she did to Brian, and that would never change. 

"Come on Sal, I don't think I have it in me to be rude. I mean I'm not exactly thrilled about this but she is going to be apart of the crew. Like it or not, we are going to have to coexist around each other and I think it would be the best for everyone if it wasn't on hostile terms" Brian explained himself. 

"Fine, do what you're gonna do, but don't expect me to follow suit. I can't have respect for someone who thinks it is okay to behave how she did" Sal said finally. Brian let out a sigh and stayed quiet for the rest of the trip. 

When they arrived to Central Park, Q and Sal strolled up at the same time as Murr and Joe. They went around to say hello to the rest of the crew and almost immediately Brian spotted Nova. Granted, she had her back turned to him but he knew it was her. They must have stuck her on camera duty because she was fiddling with all the GoPro's and testing them out. 

Brian looked at her with sad eyes when he saw the knee brace on her leg, knowing it was from the accident. At that moment, Joe caught sight of Brian and took a look back and forth between him and Nova, studying the way Brian was looking at her. 

Joe walked over and clapped a hand on Brian's back, making him jump as if he snapped him out of a trance. "Hey buddy, what's up?" Joe said, again looking at Nova and then back at Q. 

"Nothing much...You ready to do this thing" Brian replied, acting as if Nova had nothing to do with the weirdness that was now coming off of him. 

Joe smirked and continued to make eyes at the both of them. "You gonna say hello or what?" Joe asked as if he were talking to a kid. "I will, I will...Eventually I will" Q said, waving Joe off. 

Joe rolled his eyes and tisked.

"Pfft. Fuckin' Pansy" he sassed, before making his way over to Nova and tapping her on the shoulder, as if she were any other person. She turned around and just like he always did, Joe ducked to the other side of her, dodging her eyes and then surprised her on her opposite shoulder. 

"Hey sweetie, long time no see! How are you doing!" He said warmly as he reached to embrace her and give her a kiss on the cheek, much to Nova's surprise. Joe had definitely taken her off guard. 

"Hey! Oh my goodness! It's so good to see you! Hi!" Nova said in surprise as she hugged Joe back. She really appreciated how friendly Joe was being to her. She honestly didn't know what to expect or how the Jokers would be with her. 

"Congrats on getting the gig. I think you will love it. Allison is a doll and the crew has a lot of fun together" Joe said with a smile. 

"Yeah everyone has been great so far, I'm really liking it. I'm really excited to start taking pictures again." Nova said, feeling happy that Joe decided to break the ice between them and be his usual friendly self towards her. 

"You did such a great job at the promo shoot, I can't wait to see what else you are capable of, I know you will do great sweetie" Joe said, making Nova feel even more welcomed. 

Before Nova could respond, Sal called out his name and motioned for him to come over. 

"Well, I guess I gotta go over a few things with the guys before we start but uh good luck! I'm sure I'll be seeing you later!" 

Joe gave Nova one more kiss on the cheek and then went to go and get to work on their episode intro. Nova continued to work on the cameras and get them ready for a day of shooting. 

One by one, crew members came by to visit her, signing the log and taking the cameras that she had put aside that were ready. Allison came by to check up on her and see how things were going. 

"So the guys are getting ready to do their intro, once you are done with this we want you to grab the photo camera and go around and take a few candid shots of them doing that, just watch where you stand so you are not in the frame. They are going to go do three different challenges, which you will be on the photo camera for and then Dave said he wants to try you out on video for a bit after we come back from lunch" Allison explained. 

"Okay, sounds good! Ah I'm so excited! I haven't had a camera in my hands since my accident!" Nova blurted out excitedly. 

"Oooh I see, is that what that thing is about?" Allison asked, pointing down to her knee brace. 

"Ohh yeah...I was hit by a car a few months ago in a hit and run and this is my first job back in the work force" Nova explained. Allison's eyes nearly popped out of her head. 

"Oh my God! That's crazy! I'm happy to see that you made it out okay, that must have been so scary, did they ever find out who did it?" 

"It was, and no, the guy never did come forward but I guess it's what kinda led me here now so, it is what it is" Nova said, matter of factly. 

She quickly changed the subject, not wanting Allison to give it much more thought. "Anyway, I'm almost done with these, I should be over there in less than 10 minutes to shoot the intro."

"Awesome! If you need anything I'll be in the van finishing up with the monitors" Allison said before walking off to tend to those. 

Nova quickly finished up the last of the GoPro's and then eagerly grabbed the photo camera and walked over to there the video camera's were set up to record the Jokers intro. She ran into Murr on the way and they just exchanged polite hello's, not sure what else to say to each other. 

The Jokers were lined up getting ready to do their intro and Nova picked a place off to the side where she was not in view and started to fire off a few test shots, getting her exposure set to where it needed to be. 

She watched them all go through a few different intros, practicing on one another to determine which was the best route to go. She couldn't help but giggle whenever they did something to enhance the comedy of it. They were just too funny, she didn't think she could compose herself even if she tried. Every now and then she would look around and see the rest of the crew in stitches from watching them. They really were something else! 

Nova snapped a few shots of them laughing and having a good time, feeling happy with what she was getting. For the rest of the afternoon she continued to stay off in the side lines, taking candid's of the guys doing their challenges. Luckily they gave her a good zoom lens so that she could stand far enough away without attracting any attention. For all the people of Central Park knew, she was just another tourist, trying to get pictures of the city for a blog or her Instagram. 

At one point, her and Q made eye contact and Nova gave him a polite wave and a smile, only to feel stupid for doing so when all he did was give her a nod and turn around as if she wasn't even there. Nova brushed it off and didn't let it effect the rest of her day. 

When they made the announcement for lunch time, Nova kept her camera around her neck and followed the crew to a couple of food trucks that were parked in a roped off area. They had one truck that was designated for coffee products and smoothies and another one that had a variety of sandwiches and sides.

Allison came up to her while she was waiting in line and explained that she had to quickly run up to the office to grab some paper work and that she should be back before they start back up again. Nova assured her that she would be alright and knew what to do if she wasn't back by then and Allison scampered off to do what she had to do. 

That left Nova to eat lunch by herself, which she didn't mind that much. It gave her an opportunity to flick back and look at all the pictures she had taken from this morning. She had over 600 to sort through.

There was an area gated off that had a few tables and chairs where various members of the crew sat to eat their lunch and socialize on their breaks, talking about how the filming was going. Amongst all those tables sat the four Jokers who were joining in and laughing with people's conversations. 

There wasn't many seats left and with her still being new on the scene, Nova decided to go sit by a nearby fountain by herself where it was quite and she could really look at her pictures with no distractions. It was pretty, and the sound of the water sprinkling out of the fountain provided very soothing background noise.

She got a vibe that it was like high school all over again where she would always stole away up to the media center to read while the rest of the school was downstairs in the cafeteria eating lunch, like normal kids. She munched on her sandwich as she flipped through all the pictures that were on her camera.

Across the courtyard, Joe sat next to Q as they ate while everyone discussed how the day was going. He saw Nova break away from everyone and he couldn't help the ping that he felt in his heart at the site of her by herself eating. He remembered what those days were like growing up being considered the dorky kid in school. 

Lightly tapping Q's arm he said "Hey, you should go talk to her".

Q looked at Joe, puzzled until he pointed over at Nova. "And say what?" Q asked, the thought making him uncomfortable. "What do you mean say what?! Say whatever you want! I think it is about time you break the ice between you two and just get over yourself" Joe said with a little edge in his voice. 

"Why the hell does it have to be me? She has had the whole day to come up and talk to me, if she really wanted to talk to me don't ya think she would have done so by now?" Q said, taking a sip of his water. 

"Q, come on. I know you're better than that. Don't be a dick. Just go over there and say hello and tell her she should come over and join us. Remember what I said the day that you saw her at the office?" Joe continued to pester. 

"Yeah yeah, I know. I've given it some thought. I just...I just don't know how she feels about me. I don't really know what to do" Q said, looking off at Nova. 

Joe rolled his eyes impatiently and scoffed. "I just told you what to do! Go say hi you big asshole! Go!" He said, smacking Q in the shoulder. Q reluctantly got up from his seat and decided to listen to Joe. He made his way over to Nova, trying to rehearse in his head what he planned on saying. He wasn't having much luck coming up with anything. 

Q's sudden departure caught Sal and Murr's attention as they looked up with a twinge of confusion on their faces. They turned their attention to Joe and gave him a questioning look and Joe just waved them off as if his body language was saying "Don't worry about it". Sal's eyes narrowed when he saw that Q was going over to talk to Nova. 

Nova was about halfway through her pictures and her sandwich when she was suddenly over-casted with a shadow. She looked up and nearly jumped when she saw Q standing right in front of her. Completely taken off guard, she felt all the moisture leave her mouth and she looked up at him, waiting to see what he wanted. 

"Hi" He said awkwardly, giving her a little wave. "Uh...Hi?" Nova said, looking confused and quirking an eyebrow. He had ignored her all day so she wasn't exactly sure why he was coming up to her now of all times and decided to make conversation. Q felt her apprehension and suddenly questioned himself on if this was really a good idea or not. 

The air between them was thick with tension as Q just kinda fumbled back and forth, thinking that he should have thought this out a little more carefully before he just came on over, despite Joe's rush. 

"So...Uh that's cool that you were able to snag the photography position...How are you liking it so far?" Q asked, going right into small talk. Nova blinked at his choice of topic and decided to play along. "It's going good. I was just looking over my images that I took from this morning. I've been getting some good stuff. I really like working with Allison, she's really cool."

"Yeah Allison is a peach...Stick by her and she will have you up and running on your own in no time."

Then came the awkward silence. 

The politely smiled at each other and Q figured it was now or never. He took a seat next to her on the side of the fountain and released a deep sigh, running his hand through his hair. 

"Look Nova, I came over here because I know that things ended pretty badly between us and I know that I didn't really give you a chance to explain and I was kind of a jerk. I was hoping that since we are now kinda working together that maybe we can talk and find some middle ground. I would like to try to at least be friends, if that's possible?" He asked, looking at her when he said the last part. 

Nova didn't know what to say. The problem was there was so much to say, she didn't know what to start with. She had thought of this moment so many times before she came here today and not even all of that thinking was enough to prepare her for the actual moment. She wanted to lash out and scream, she wanted to ask him why he left her at the hospital that night and didn't even check at all with her to see if she was okay. She wanted to tell him to shove it and that if she hadn't gotten a job on set than their so called 'friendship' wouldn't have even mattered to him. 

But, the fact of the matter was, they were working together now. Did she really want to bring their feud into her new beginning and cause a scene in front of all her new coworkers and potentially look like a crazy person? Not really! But she still felt that she was entitled to her feelings and she wasn't sure how friendly she could be with him if she didn't get it all out on the table. 

She took a second to repeat in her mind what he had said and there was only one logical solution that she could think of. 

"I hear what you are saying and I understand. I do appreciate you coming over here and trying to make amends...If that is what this really is...How about we call each other tonight and then we can talk more. I'm sorry but I really don't want to do this hear" Nova said, shifting anxiously as she stole a glance over to where the rest of the crew was sitting and enjoying their lunch. 

Q's eyes followed hers and then he looked back at her and nodded. "Okay, no problem. I get it. How about this. You let me buy you a coffee after we are done today and we will talk...Face to face...Is that okay?" Q said, asking her permission. 

Nova stared at him, her eyes burning bright as he talked and then she sighed. She hesitated for a moment and then nodded her head in agreeance, figuring this may be her only chance to be able to tell him exactly what has been on her mind these past couple of months. She knew that she could have told him no and told him to fuck off, but she did not want to go the rest of her days working at TRUTV with this burden burning in her mind. She wanted to start with a clear conscience and if that meant swallowing her pride and acting civil towards Brian, at least for now, then so be it.

"Oh good! Thank you, thank you so much! I'll wait for you after we are done wrapping up." Q said, sounding pleased with her answer. Nova nodded again, not sure of what else to say and then Q left her alone so she could finish the rest of her lunch in peace. 

"This should be interesting" Nova thought to herself as she watched Q walk away. She wasn't sure how this was going to go but it felt like it was something that she had to do in order to properly move on. She tried to think if it was possible that the two of them could even be friends after everything that happened but only time would tell. 

She began to think of everything that she wanted to say to him as she finished her lunch break, wondering what terms her and Q would be on at the end of the day....


	24. Up Your Ass and To The Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Tinyinkstainedbird for helping me work through my ideas for this chapter. Again, if you haven't read her fics, you should! She had a two part series dedicated to the IJ fandom called Marvel and Pompeii, they are amazing!

Soon enough, Nova's lunch break ended and then it was time to get back to work. Allison wasn't back yet and Nova knew that she wanted her to try her hand out on a video camera so Nova went to grab one of the Go Pro's that were left behind and then went to the table by the main production van that had the assignment cards on it. 

Allison explained to her that each card had the location of where each member of the video team will be positioned and what they will be focusing on. Nova had to sign out a few more of the cameras before she made it to the table and by the time she got there, her card was the only one left and everyone had taken their positions already. 

Nova picked up her card and studied it, trying to decipher exactly where they wanted her stationed. All it said was trash can in section B and under the details section it said focus on potential targets. 

"Hmm" Nova frowned while pursing her lips. She was not familiar with Central Park so she tried to imagine it from a bird's eye view from what she had seen of it so far, to try to figure out exactly where her spot was. Everyone was already either in their places or heading there and there was no one around for her to ask that she wouldn't be interrupting, which she did not feel comfortable doing so yet this early in the game. 

She looked around to see if there was anyone else in sight and then looked down at her card again. "Trash can in section B" She repeated to herself.

Did they really expect her to hide in a trash can? She knew that she wasn't suppose to be seen considering this was a hidden camera show, but wasn't this a little extreme? Why couldn't they have given her a spot in the bushes or something, or even set her up with a body cam? 

Nova shook her head and decided she wouldn't complain. It was her first day and she wanted to show everyone that she could handle what was given to her, no questions asked. She was hoping that at the very least that it was an empty trash can.

Now if only she could find where said trash can was...

As Nova was scanning around to figure out what direction she should head in, and of all people Sal crossed her path. He looked like he was heading to the cooler to grab a drink. Nova quickly tossed up the idea of asking him for help, figuring it wouldn't bring her any less close to figuring it out that she already was. 

"Hey Sal!" Nova called out to him, not giving herself any more time to dwell on it. He looked over at her in surprise from hearing his name, and then flattened his expression when he saw it was her. He stayed where he was and stared her down as she hustled over to him, making her be the one to go to him. 

"Hey, look I know you don't like me very much but I literally have no one to ask...Do you know where this is?" She asked with pleading eyes, hoping that he could be of some assistance. 

Sal took a look down at her card and studied it for a moment. He looked up and in a serious voice while pointing in a direction he said "Oh yeah, if you go up that pathway and turn right, it's just up your ass and to the left."

Nova's expression dropped into a scowl and Sal couldn't help but laugh at his own joke. "You know, you're a fucking asshole" Nova said harshly and turned on her heel away from him, continuing to hear him laugh at her. 

"Fuck him...I'll find it myself" Nova angrily thought to herself, feeling fired up at his refusal to help her. She knew they weren't exactly friends but she really thought that he would have helped her considering it was for the show, it's not like she was asking to borrow money from him. She was only asking him for directions!

Nova pushed Sal's ignorant behavior out of her mind and trekked over to where she thought section B was. Luckily when she got there, there was only one trash can so she didn't have to guess too hard where her hiding place would be. 

Nova walked over to the can, video camera in hand and hesitated. There was a handful of people around walking by and it never crossed Nova's mind how awkward it was going to be to physically get in without anyone's help. 

"Ooookay" Nova said to herself as she tried to think of a tactful way to go about this. She picked up the lid and looked inside, happy to see that there was only a few candy wrappers and old receipts in the bottom. She looked around, feeling as awkward and uncomfortable as ever, and when there was no one paying attention to her she tried to climb in as quickly and as swiftly as she possibly could. 

It was way harder than she expected, especially with her having a bad knee. 

She stumbled a few times and almost seriously fell but after a few minutes she was able to tightly tuck herself inside and secure the lid over top with no one seeing her in there. 

Now all she had to do was wait. 

She knew that he Jokers would take their places shortly after all the camera people were situated. She turned on her mike and spoke in that she was ready. Oddly she didn't hear anyone else's voice come through but she figured it was probably because everyone was already in their places. 

Nova crouched down in the can, wishing that they would get this show on the road soon. She wasn't sure how long her knee would be able to hold out in this position and she was thanking her lucky stars that she was not claustrophobic. Every so often she would peek out to see if she saw anyone but there was nothing going on aside from the norm. She figured they would tell her over her earpiece when they were ready.

About fifteen minutes later she spoke into her mike again, asking out if anyone knew what time they were going to start but received no answer. She furrowed her eye brows at the silence and then her expression popped when she realized that she must be on the wrong channel. 

She did not have an ear piece in for the first half of the day and Allison forgot to mention what channel they were on so Nova began to search through until she heard voices. 

"Hey guys, this is Nova...Does anyone have an idea of when we are going to start?" She asked openly. 

After a few seconds she got a response. 

"What are you talking about? They have been at it for over twenty minutes now?" Someone responded. 

"What?!" Nova exclaimed. She peeked out of the lid of the trash can again to see that nothing had changed. 

"We started over twenty minutes ago! Where are you?" They said again, this time more firmly. 

"I don't know, I'm in a trash can. I didn't know where it was so I did my best to find it!" Nova whispered back harshly, feeling anger rise to her face. 

"You have got to be fucking kidding me" She thought to herself. 

Here she was this whole time hiding in a city garbage can which didn't exactly smell the best, even though there was next to no garbage in it when they had already started filming and she missed all of it! 

"Come back over to HQ and we will have someone escort you to where you need to be."

Oh, Now they wanted to escort her...

Nova wiggled back and forth, testing the strength of her knee out before she got up. Of course her knee and the whole back of her leg was numb and tingly from sitting in that position for so long, she couldn't get enough momentum to stand up. She tried to bounce up and only managed to fall back and wedge herself in more. 

Nova growled in frustration as she tried to get herself unstuck. She was beginning to lose her patience. 

"This is just great...I'm stuck in a fucking trash can and no one knows where the fuck I am!" Nova voiced to herself. 

"I'm going to fucking kill Sal" She said through gritted teeth. If he would have just helped her, she would not be this predicament. As Nova was trying to scoot her way out, all the sudden a burst of light was let in from the lid being opened.

Nova froze.

Before she could react, a rush of dark ice cold liquid was poured in, completely covering her from her shoulders down making her gasp. Then came the cup which landed on her stomach as Nova let out a high pitched squeal. 

Someone had thrown out a large and almost full cup of ice coffee which she was now saturated in, much to her disgust. 

Nova was still in shock by the time the citizen picked up the trash can lid from the sound of her scream. Nova looked up in horror as an older man with glasses looked down at her in shock. 

"FUCK!" Nova yelled out in anger. This was far from how she pictured her first day working on set was going to go. 

"Qué estás haciendo ahí?" The man said to her, obviously not speaking a lick of English. Nova let out another growl in pure frustration and yelled "Help me up! Please!" 

The man must have understood her, or it was just plain obvious that she didn't want to be in there anymore and he offered her a hand which she gladly took. 

The language barrier was almost a comfort because Nova didn't think that she would have been able to explain her situation, even if she tried. 

The man continued to scold her in Spanish, or at least that is what it sounded like to Nova, as he continued to help her out. Nova felt like the biggest idiot in the world! Not only was she hiding in the wrong trash can for almost half an hour, now she was going to have to go back to the site drenched in coffee and have to face everyone. 

She honestly just contemplated going home and never coming back. But she was not a quitter and it would take a lot more than a cup of ice coffee to chase her away. 

She thanked the gentlemen the best she could and marched back to the vans, fuming from her situation. She took a few deep breaths to try and control her emotions and so she wouldn't go into a panic attack from the embarrassment of it all. When she approached the station, the first person she saw was Allison, who had to do a double take.

"Nova?! Nova Oh my goodness! What happened to you?!" Allison exclaimed, running up to meet Nova halfway. As she got closer she could see the anger across Nova's face. 

"After break I had to sign out a few more cameras and by the time I picked up my card everyone was gone. I had no clue where I was suppose to go and I asked Sal for help and he was a total fucking jerk and wouldn't help me so I had to find it on my own and I GUESS I WAS WRONG!" Nova yelled, her emotions getting the better of her. She could feel her face was beet red and poor Allison didn't know what to make of seeing Nova like this. 

"Okay, okay, chill out sweetie...I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. We joke with everyone all the time, maybe-" Allison started to try and diffuse Nova's anger, but Nova wasn't having it. 

"All he had to fucking do was tell me wherever the hell section B was! This is HIS fault!" Nova said harshly through gritted teeth. 

"Nova, I'm sure he didn't mean it" Allison said seriously with her hands up, looking at Nova like she was insane.

Nova blinked and it dawned on her why Allison was looking at her like she was a crazy person. Allison had no clue about their feud or any of the business between her and Sal and here she was on her first day, accusing Sal of doing something malicious and nasty, when in Allison's eyes, Sal was someone who everyone loved and respected on set and had no clue about the dark side that he showed Nova. 

Nova put herself in check really quick, deciding at hat very moment she was not going to let Sal get the best of her. 

"You know you're right. I know Sal didn't mean it...I think I was just stressed and that was how I interpreted it, I just wanted to be impressive on my first day and I didn't want to bother anyone. I'm sorry I got upset but this wasn't exactly how I planned on ending today" Nova said, making a face and gesturing down at her clothes. 

Allison replaced her concerned look with a smile from Nova's reassurance and said "It's okay girl! I understand. I know you're probably embarrassed but we have had crazy stuff like that happen to all of us. If it makes you feel any better, on my first day I completely smashed a monitor to pieces. No one told me that they go on carts and I thought I had to carry it all the way to the back of an office building that we were shooting in, needless to say these skinny little arms couldn't handle it and the thing slid out of my hands and shattered like Humpty Dumpty. The moment it hit the ground, Dave came around the corner and yelled 'What are you doing?!'" Allison told her, animating select parts of her story.

"Oh God...That sound's so scary, I think I would have died" Nova empathized. 

"Yeah, I cried. But the important thing is I got through it and no one was mad at me. Shit happens, it's not your fault if you don't know something. I'm sure it will make a great story for you to tell later" Allison joked. 

"Yeah, that's for sure. Ugh, not only am I covered in rejected coffee...I missed all of that time filming" Nova said, throwing her arms up. "Ah no worries. We had plenty of people out there, I'm sure we are covered" Allison said as if it were no big deal, which Nova was grateful for. 

Nova smiled, happy that she was able to pull herself together before she made a fool of herself. 

Nova hung out in the van with Allison, watching the monitors until it was time for a wrap. Since Nova couldn't go back out there with her clothes stained up without attracting attention they were trying to avoid, Allison took this time to explain more about what goes on behind the scenes when they are filming, in case she ever had to fill in for anyone. She showed and explained to her what all the controls do and what kind of directions to give out when you are looking for a specific kind of shot. If was all very fascinating for Nova, and she took Allison's lessons to heart. 

Allison gave Nova permission to leave early that day since Nova was sticky and uncomfortable from her situation. She was also starting to smell a little too, but Allison didn't want to hurt her feelings so she told her that she was good to go home and get cleaned up. Nova was thankful. 

She said her goodbyes to Allison and before she strolled off she had remembered about her meeting with Q. 

"Oh shit" She exclaimed, slapping her forehead. She turned around to go find Q and let him know that she wouldn't be able to meet with him. Sure enough she found him hanging around some of the crew with the other guys, talking about how the day went. 

Nova walked up and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and after seeing it was Nova, he looked down at her clothes. 

"Whoa" He said in surprise, looking Nova up and down. "What happened to you?" 

Nova could see Sal snickering behind him and she chose to ignore him. Some of the people around them looked at Sal in confusion, obviously not seeing what was so funny. 

"Yeah, I kinda had a mix up earlier, it's a long story" Nova started, not wanting to elaborate. "But I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to have to take a rain check on that coffee and go home, I really just want to get out of these clothes and take a shower, I feel gross and I think I've had enough 'coffee' today" She explained. Q turned around to glace at everyone behind him and they both took a few steps away, seeking a little privacy.

Q looked down at her, unable to help the ping of disappointment that he felt. Even though he suspected her of doing a bad thing to him, ever since Joe put the seed in his head he really wanted to hear the truth in her words on what happened that night and even though it may have not mattered anymore, he had a small hope that it really wasn't what he thought it was. After all that heartbreak, he still missed her. 

"Ah okay...That's fine, I understand. How about I call you tonight like you suggested before?" He asked, offering her an alternative. 

Nova nodded and said "Yeah...Yeah that's fine. I'm sorry but I really want to get out of this shirt. I guess I'll talk to you tonight"

She gave him a reassuring smile and Q said "Alright, it's a date...Or not a date...In this case."

Nova couldn't help but laugh. She didn't have it in her to be angry anymore that day. It wasn't an emotion she wore well. Really all she could do was laugh. Even when she was here, coming to him after having the worst experience and drenched in a sticky substance and feeling gross, he could still be more awkward than her. He hadn't changed a bit. 

"I'm sorry, it's just been a day, thank you for that" Nova said, still giggling and wiping a tear from her eye. 

Q looked at her confused, not thinking that what he said was that funny, but shrugged it off and decided to be happy that he was able to offer her a little comic relief. 

"Well, get home safe and I'll talk to you later" Q said, saying good bye. Nova nodded with a smile and before she could turn around, he made a motion telling her to wait. 

Nova looked at him puzzled and watched him as he proceeded to take the shirt off his back. Literally. She blinked and looked around from side to side to see if anyone was watching. 

"What are you doing?" She hissed in surprise, looking at him as if he had lost his marbles. "Here, take it" He said, now shirtless and offering her his shirt in an outstretched hand. 

"You can go change in one of the vans before you go, this way you can at least be comfortable on your way home, I know you got kind of a long way to go."

Nova blinked in surprise and stuttered a bit before she accepted it. "Oh my God Q...I don't know what to say...Thank you...You didn't have to do that."

"I know but I wanted to...You kinda looked miserable and I think you need it more than me" He said kindly. 

Nova was in shock. She wasn't expecting such a kind gesture from him, despite where they left off. She wondered why he felt that she deserved it. She guessed he was serious about wanting to try and maintain a friendship. 

Joe and Murr noticed Q take off his shirt and even though they were a distance away, they started hooting and hollering at him. "EVERYBODY STOP AND LOOK! A RARE SIGHTING OF Q'S NIPPLES" Joe screamed across the court yard, getting everyone's attention. Q turned around and gave a comedic flex as he made crazy facial expressions. Nova chuckled at his silliness. 

"Well thank you again, I really appreciate it. I promise I'll give this back to you" Nova said sincerely. "I hope the guys go easy on you"

"Yeah, me too but I'm sure they won't" Q said with a laugh as he looked back at Joe and Murr who were still teasing him. 

Nova waved goodbye and walked over to the nearest van with Q's shirt in her hand. She couldn't help the smile on her face as she walked by Sal, who stopped and quickly put the equation together when he saw she was holding a shirt, and Q just happened to be shirtless behind him. 

His face was priceless.


	25. I'll Be Fine, You'll Be Fine

When Nova arrived back at the apartment that her and Robin shared, she immediately stripped off her clothes, placing the shirt that Q gave her neatly on a chair in her room, and jumped into a shower. After getting clean and literally washing the day off of her, she changed into a comfy pair of PJ's and began to think about the conversation that happened between her and Q. 

She still didn't 100% know how she felt (or how she was suppose to feel) but with all objectives aside, it did feel good to talk to him again. She didn't really like to think of the night that the two of them broke up because there were so many triggers that she was still not completely over but she found herself sitting on the couch, dwelling over it with a cup of tea. 

Robin was out at a big opening of a concert for an upcoming band she was promoting so Nova had the silence she needed to sort through her thoughts. 

She remembered Jimmy coming on to her strongly in her apartment and then her throwing him out. Even though she knew what the scene must have looked like to Q, she didn't picture him being the kind of person to not stick around and see if she was okay at the hospital after she was struck by a car. That is where it all really hurt Nova because she really felt like they had something good going between the two of them, and it made her question her own judgement on how she perceived things. 

There was no way that he could be that spiteful of a person, even if she did wrong him the way he assumed she did, he was not so unforgiving that he wouldn't have cared if she lived or died...Or was he? 

"No...That just wouldn't make sense with how he was with me today" Nova thought to herself. She felt like she was missing a big piece of the puzzle and there was something she was just not seeing. She set her glass of tea on the end table next to her to rub the tension out of her temples that all of this was causing when she heard her phone vibrate on the couch. 

She looked over and sure enough, it was Brian Quinn.

She took a deep breath to ground herself and then answered the phone. "Hello" she said as if she were expecting his call. 

"Hey! I'm just leaving your old apartment, you don't live here anymore?" Brian asked. Judging by the background noise, it sounded like he was walking to his car. 

"You went to my apartment?" Nova asked, shocked and surprised that he would do that. 

"Yeah, I figured it would have been better to talk to you face to face, I didn't know you moved?"

"Ohh, yeah...After...Well everything I wasn't exactly able to afford my own place or be on my own. I ended up moving in with Robin. A lot has changed"

"Ohh shit...Wow I'm sorry. That's really awful, I know you liked that place" Brian said, sounding sincere. 

"Yeah, I know it wasn't much but it was home" Nova said short and gloomy. 

"Well that's cool that Robin let you stay with her, if you keep working at the network I'm sure you will have a place of your own in no time."

"Yeah I guess so" Nova said, wondering when they were going to get to the heart of their issues. 

Brian was quiet for a moment and so was she. 

"So, uh...Other than that, how have you been doing with everything?" Brian asked awkwardly.

"I'm good I guess. Still taking one day at a time. I know that is not why you called..." Nova went straight for the punchline. 

"No...It's not"

Q paused and Nova heard him let out a deep breath on the other line. 

"The truth is Nova...Well, I know I am extremely late on this and lost my window...Feel free to hang up on me anytime...But the truth is...I cannot stop thinking about that night...The night when we...You know...I know I didn't listen to you before and I was a huge jerk for walking out on you the way I did without hearing your side. I seriously regret it and I wish there was anything in the world I could do to make it up to you, but I know I can't. I just want to let you know that even though I am late, I am listening now and I am so sorry for the way I left things...I am so sorry for everything."

Brian poured his heart out to Nova and she even heard his voice shake at the end. He took her breath away and she did not predict that he would have had this effect on her. She fully thought that this was her moment to tell him off and to get out all of her anger and frustrations that she had been holding in since that very night, and she just couldn't do it. He sounded so raw and honest, there was something in her that just couldn't rip him to shreds like she had fantasized about every time she would imagine this conversation between them. 

It took her a moment before she could respond, and Q patiently waited on the other end. His heart cracked when he heard her sniffle. 

"Oh Brian...Things would have been so different if you would have just stopped and listened to me that night...I never messed around with Jimmy...Not that night...Not once when you and I were together." 

Q's heart dropped. Something about the way her voice sounded let him know that she was for sure telling the truth. 

"Jimmy came to me that night and yes, he wanted to mess around. He had a rough night and he was looking for someone to rebound to...just like we used to do, but I told him that I could no longer be that person for him. I was so...So infatuated with you, I couldn't even look at another man the same way I looked at you, and the thought of doing that disgusted me. I threw him out of my apartment the moment when you came walking up...And that is what you saw."

Q's mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart began to race. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this stupid, and not on purpose. Sure enough, Joe was right. All of this wasted time where they could have been building their relationship stronger and he chose to throw it all away based on a speculation. A speculation that he couldn't have been more wrong on. He lost his girl over it. 

He closed his eyes and rested his head against his steering wheel. "I'm so sorry Nova."

He didn't know what else to say. What was there to say? He made this poor girl feel so bad for something she didn't even do and the way he chose to deal with it affected her terribly and changed her life forever. He felt sick and disgusted with himself, there was no way Nova would forgive him and there was no way he would accept if if she did. 

"I'm just so sorry. I feel terrible about everything...There is no excuse for what I did and I really don't expect any forgiveness from you, not that I deserve it. Just know that I am sorry. You didn't deserve any of that."

Nova now had silent tears pouring out of her eyes. She nodded her head, even though she knew Brian couldn't see. He said everything that she felt like she needed to hear to move on. She had pushed everything that happened deep down inside and only focused on healing her physical injuries, she hadn't begun to deal with the emotional side of things, and his words were like ripping off the band aid. 

"Thank you for saying that" Nova said after a while. Brian kept hearing her little sniffles and decided to let her have a moment before he said anything else. 

"I really mean it...And I don't mean to sound tacky but if there is anything I can do, Anything you need, let me know. I just want to help, that's all" Brian offered.

"I'm okay" Nova said, picking her head up. She couldn't tell if she said that for Brian, or for herself. "I will be okay."

"Look, I don't expect you to give me the time of day after everything I put you through, but in the spirit of us working together, I would like it if we could maybe try to be friends? If that is okay with you?" Brian asked, sounding hopeful.

Nova paused for a moment. "Yeah..OK...I think we can do that" She said strongly. 

"But first, there is one more thing I want to ask you" She said, trying to get all of their issues out and to the surface. 

"Yeah sure, anything" Q said as if he were at her mercy. 

"Why didn't you go to the hospital that night, after everything happened?"

Brian's response was definitely not one that she was expecting. She expected him to be silent at first and then say something along the lines of him being afraid or him not wanting to upset her further, or even him not having a choice with his career hanging in the distance. His response was about to send her through another whirlwind of emotions that she wasn't sure if she was ready for. 

"I was at the hospital...I met Robin there and they wouldn't let me see you because she was your emergency contact and you were in ICU."

Nova felt the air leave her lungs. 

"What?!" She exclaimed, not sure if she was believing what she was hearing. 

"Yeah, Robin didn't tell you I was there? I texted you later that night and you responded...Don't you remember any of that?" Q asked, wondering just how bad her head injury could have been.

Nov abruptly stood up. 

Nova's hand's started to shake as she tried to remember all of the pieces of this story that Q was telling her. The though of him potentially lying crossed her mind, but that wouldn't make sense with how truthful they were just being with each other. 

Unless...

Nova dropped her phone when the reality of the situation hit her. She remembered how Robin said Q never showed up and how she said that she called him but he never came. If Q was never at the hospital that night, then how could he have known that Robin was her emergency contact or that she was in ICU. She had never told him that before, and the only other ones here in New York who knew that information was Heather and Violet. That could only mean one thing....

Robin had been lying to Nova all along...

Nova noticed she dropped her phone and she quickly picked it back up. "Q?" She said into the phone.

Q heard the change in her voice. She sounded panicked. "Yes, I'm here" he said meaning it in more ways than one. 

"I...I need to see you...Can you come pick me up?" she asked, walking to her bedroom to change her clothes. 

"Yeah sure! Just text me your address and I'll be on my way"

"Okay, I'll see you soon"

Nova hung up the phone. She had to get to the bottom of this. She had to know exactly what Robin lied about and how much she bent the truth to make Q look like more of a monster that what he was. 

And most of all, why she lied in the first place! She had some investigating to do before she could confront her. She didn't understand it! Robin was her best friend and her first friend in New York. How could she put Nova through all of this and give her the impression that Q didn't care about her?

It was such an evil thing to do to anyone, she knew Robin could have a vicious streak in her (She had seen it before) but not to herself. She just didn't get it and she didn't want to believe that her friend would do that to her. Granted, Q wasn't 100% innocent that night, but if he was there at the hospital, what could Robin gain by keeping that from her? 

She didn't know, but she was going to find out!


	26. The memories were lost so long ago,but at least you have beautiful ghosts

Brian pulled up to the building address shortly after Nova gave him the directions. He parked his car and made a move to get out but paused when he saw Nova sitting on the top of the wall to the steps, legs criss crossed and her nose buried in her phone. With her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth it looked like she was very concentrated on what she was doing.

Brian lightly tapped on his horn to get her attention and watched her as she sprang up walked up to his car, her face still in her phone. She had sounded almost panicked when they spoke earlier and he was aching to know what had rattled her so much that she wanted to meet with him ASAP.

He had a feeling it had something to do with Robin with how her name was the last thing that came up when they were on the phone earlier. 

Nova hastily walked up to Brian's car, accidentally bumping shoulders with someone passing her. She still couldn't figure out why Robin could have lied to her about Brian showing up but the more she thought about it, the more angry she became. Brian said that apparently they texted each other after he left that night and she couldn't remember anything about that. 

Before she accused anyone of anything, she had to see those texts for herself and she knew Brian wouldn't have them saved in his phone because he went through phones like she went through purses and she had already seen him sporting a new phone earlier that day when they were on set together. 

Her only hope was to see if she could try to retrieve them through her phone company, which is what she was currently working hard on. 

She opened to door to Brian's car and got in, jumping right to the reason why she asked him to come in the first place. 

"Okay, so you said that you and me were texting each other after you left the hospital that night, I need to know what I said to you and what you said to me...I have no recollection of that and I have been sitting here trying and pull up the messages from my phone account and I'm not really getting anywhere."

"Well hello to you too" Brian said with some humor in his voice. Nova looked up to meet his eyes and let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry, hi...If you haven't caught on, I'm kinda freaking out right now, can you please tell me what was said?" Nova asked, back tracking herself. 

Brian hesitated to answer. It took him a long time to get over her response to him that day after everything and it felt weird bringing it up. 

"Okay what is going on? You sounded really freaked on the phone earlier and you made me drive halfway across the city to come meet you, what the hell happened?" He exclaimed, answering her question with a question. 

Now it was Nova's turn to hesitate.

"I...I think Robin is lying to me...She told me you were never at the hospital that night. She said that you called her to tell her what happened and that you said that you were going to meet her there and when she got there you never showed. Now I know I hit my head pretty hard that night but I seriously don't remember texting you anything..."

Q gritted his teeth and dug his nails into his palms. Nova could see a darkness grow in his eyes that led her to believe that she had it right about Robin. "You were there, weren't you" She said after a moment of silence between the two of them. 

At this point, Q starting to guess that that text did not come from Nova.

Q took a deep breath. He was about to cross into some risky territory business two friends and he knew he was going to have to choose his words wisely or else Nova would never believe him over Robin. Even though he didn't like Robin (even more so now than ever) he knew who she was to Nova and what he was about to say would break her heart. 

"Nova, I got to the hospital before Robin. When she arrived, she was really adameant that she was going to be the one to take care of everything with you and she kept trying to push me out the door because me and the guys were leaving on our tour. She kept saying that if I didn't go, it would screw everyone and I would let the guys down so I stayed until she came back down and let me know that you were going to be okay...I even offered to go back and help her with grabbing your stuff but she made it clear that she didn't want me there."

Nova's stomach churned. She didn't know what to say to Brian. 

Here she was this whole time with these bitter and angry feelings towards him over the fact that he didn't stick around to see if she was even alive, and yet he was there the this whole time. She let out the breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding in this whole time and she felt her heart break in a whole new way. 

Brian studied her face and felt terrible, even though he knew he was 100% speaking the truth to her. He knew what she was about to go through and he was no stranger to betrayal. He reached out and lightly touched her hand, trying to give her any kind of comfort that he was able to offer. 

"I'm sorry Nova...I hate to have to be the one to tell you this but that is the truth...Sal can verify it if you feel like you need to hear it from someone else, I was keeping him in the loop the whole time when-"

"No no no, that's okay, I believe you" Nova said, pulling her hand away to interject. Q felt a small relief that she wasn't questioning his presence there. She turned in her seat to face forward and she let out a huff.

"Can...Can we get outta here?" Nova asked, just seriously wanting to get as far away from the home that her and her now ex best friend shared together. She was in shock that Robin would lie to her about something that was so hurtful. It made her wonder what other things she could have been lying to her about.

Q nodded and started his car, putting it in gear and driving off, granting Nova's request. He didn't say anything to her, knowing that there was nothing he could say at this point to make her feel better so he just kept his mouth shut so she could sort through her thoughts in peace. 

They drove around aimlessly for a while, Q didn't really know where to take her knowing that she probably didn't want to be around people right now and it was too late to go to a park for safety reasons. He decided to take her to the one place that always made him feel better and the only place in the world that he ever wanted to be after a rough day...

He took her to his home. 

45 minutes and a tense ride later, they pulled up the driveway of his home, Nova picked her head up and looked around. "Is this where you live?" She asked in amazement. 

The whole time they were together, Nova had never been to Brian's house. It was nothing personal, it just never fit into their routine. He would always come over to her place after work because it was just easier and because of Nova's old work schedule and with her not having a vehicle it was more convenient for them to hang out at her place. 

"Yup" Q said proudly as he pulled into the driveway. "It's not much, but it's home."

Nova looked over at him and he was smirking at her. "Not much? Your house is beautiful!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. Q parked the car and Nova got out, not taking her eyes off the front. Q couldn't help but laugh at her reaction and Nova couldn't believe that this really was the first time she was seeing it for herself. 

For the time being, she forgot all about her problems and was just relished in the fact that she was actually at Brian's place. Since they had never really gotten to that part of their relationship, she took a moment to look around and really take it in.

She followed Brian up the steps and stepped through the doorway as he held the door open for her.

This place was definitely all Brian.

There were pictures and memorabilia of all of his favorite comic's and movies ranging from Superman to Ghost Busters, and even a throw back to some of the early 80's classics like Gremlins and The Goonies. 

"You can take your shoes off if you want" Brian said, trying to be polite and to let her know that she can get comfortable. 

Nova turned around from a bookshelf of various ornaments and said "You know, I can't believe this is the first time I have been here...Your decorations are so cool!" 

Q breathed out a sheepish laugh and said "Thanks...Sal complains that I have too much stuff but I don't know, it all means something to me I guess."

"Well of course it does, it's all you! I think it's awesome, I really love this Ghost Buster's ambulance, it makes me think of my dad" Nova said, bending over to get a better look at it. 

"Oh yeah? That's one of my favorite pieces. I got that at a con a few years back, it was the last one and I gave the guy at the booth 20$ to hold it for me, I just couldn't let it go...Your dad a fellow GB fan?" Brian explained and then quirked an eye brow at her.

"No..Well yes, He liked the movie but not like that...Growing up, he used to have a real blue ambulance, the same make and model as the Ghost Buster's one. I think he got it through one of his buddies when he used to work at the fire house but it was really cool, it still had all of the old medical equipment in it and everything. Every New Years he would fire it up and blare the sirens, it was a total staple in the neighborhood, people used to knock on our door to ask us about it"

"Wow seriously? That's freaking cool! Does he still have it?" Brian asked.

"No...He sold it a long time ago. We needed to catch up on some bills and it was just sitting there. Someone approached him wanting to buy it, saying that they would restore it and get it up and running again, they offered him a good price so he took them up on it" Nova said sadly.

"Oh wow, I mean I understand but that's too bad, that is a really cool thing to have, I would have loved to see what he guy did with it" Brian replied.

"Yeah, it is what it is...Both me and my mom thinks he regrets selling it, he gets this look in his eyes every time he looks at old pictures of it, he really wanted to be the one to fix it up but he just couldn't" Nova said.

Brian nodded and then changed the subject. "Hey do you want a drink or something, I have soda and some juice, or if you want something a little stronger I can get you a beer?" Brian asked, trying to be polite. 

"I'll just take a soda" Nova said, not wanting to be a bother. Even though she could have sure went for a beer at the moment, giving the scenario, she didn't think it would be the best decision to throw back a beer with him. That was not why she was there, she was still trying to think of the reason she was. 

Brian excused himself and Nova walked over to the couch to have a seat. She began to try and pull up those messages again from that night. For some reason when she pulled up her account and got to the page of all her text messages, she was just not seeing anything in regards to what Brian told her what was said. She really didn't think he was lying, but the messages were just not there. 

She pulled her eyebrows together and continued to aimlessly click around to see if she could get anywhere. All the sudden she saw a tab that said "messages removed" and she clicked on it. 

She scrolled a bit through random messaged that she removed to save space in her phone and sure enough, there they were. She saw the one the Brian had sent to her, apologizing for everything that had happened that night. She could feel the sincerity in the message and that he was being true and that he really cared. It actually brought her some relief. 

And then she got to the message to Robin sent to him in a response...

Don't call me ever again.  
I no longer want to  
know you. This is all  
your fault. Forget my  
number and forget you  
even know my name. We  
are done. If you really care  
about me, you will leave me  
alone. That is all I want from  
you

Nova gasped at the evilness that dripped around every word. Right after she read it, Brian turned around the corner with her soda and his beer in each hand. 

"What? What's wrong?" He questioned, concerned by the look of horror that was now on her face.

Brian's presence jolted Nova's attention out of her phone and her eyes jumped up to meet his. Even though the message did not come from her directly, she still felt just as guilty as if it had, she would have never said anything as cruel as that, unless it was well deserved, and in this case it really wasn't. 

She shifted her eyes from her phone to Brian again and tossed her phone aside. She jumped up from the couch and rushed up to Brian, throwing her arms around him. Brian looked surprised, not having a clue where this sudden outburst was coming from. Luckily the drinks he had were in cans, otherwise they would have went all over the place. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Nova said over and over again to poor Q, who still had no clue what was going on. 

"Uhh...Am I missing something?" Q asked, looking confused. 

Nova pulled away and straightened up. "Those texts...I was able to pull up those texts from Robin...I am so sorry about that, I had no idea that she could be so cruel, I can't imagine how that must have made you feel, that was so awful, I'm just so sorry that my friend did that to you."

Brian felt his heart jump to his throat at the mention of that. He was happy that she now knew the truth for herself, but that didn't make dealing with his feelings any easier, which he wasn't exactly the best at. 

"Uhh, no problem, it's all good. At least they didn't come from you right?"

Nova backed off Brian and ran a hand though her hair. "God, I just can't imagine why Robin would have said all of that...She never gave me any impression that she ever had a problem with you."

Brian scoffed and moved to set the drinks down on the coffee table. 

"What?" Nova asked, making a face at his response. 

"Well, Robin is not exactly the most friendly face around the network, I mean her and I never had a real issue come up, but she didn't exactly act like we were that good of friends either...She's kind of a bitch to everyone, especially if they don't bow down to her" Q explained.

"What do you mean? I never noticed any of that when we were together" Nova argued. 

"Well you wouldn't...She would never show her face like that around you, she never did, she was always on her best behavior around you, you should have seen how she goes through assistants" Q said, making a face to elaborate on Robin's behavior. 

"Wow seriously? That's odd...I mean she never talked about any office stuff with me. When I worked for her I did it all from home. I don't think I have ever met any of her associates"

"Huh, I guess she hid herself well from you, you must really be in her circle then, I always wondered how it was possible that the two of you were friends" Q said, taking a swig of his beer. 

Nova sighed. "Yeah I guess so" She said as she crouched down on the floor in front of Q. She ran her hand through her hair again and looked off as if she was in deep thought. "Maybe she was jealous of you" Nova said, not being serious at first but then as the idea sank in she looked at Q. 

Q's eyebrows rose up as if he was waiting for what she was about to say. The look Nova was giving Q said enough. 

"Well that surely would explain a lot" Q answered for her as if it was obvious. 

Nova's look grew intense as she said "Really? Do you think she could have been jealous? Of you?"

Q hesitated before he answered but that was exactly what he thought. Of course Nova wouldn't have seen it but it was obvious every time she was around them. She would eye Q like he was a bug that needed to be squashed and then be super sweet to Nova, only aknowledging him when she did. 

Brian never really cared, he only had eyes for Nova and he could have cared less what her friends thought of him so he just let it go. It never meant that much to him to potentially cause a fight or upset Nova about it so he just let it roll off his shoulders. He was dating Nova at the time, not her friends, but it made perfect sense that that would be the reason why she would have done something like that, it just surprised Brian that she would go that far. 

Brian just looked at her and kept his mouth shut, watching her put the pieces together in her mind. He could see that she knew it was the truth, she was just testing herself on believing it because she didn't want it to be true. She didn't want none of it to be true, but it was.

And now she had to come up with a way to deal with it.

Nova sighed in defeat and sat back on her heels. "Well...I guess I'm right back to where I started again then huh...after all these years I am on my own again. Why the hell did I even come to New York in the first place?" She thought out loud. 

Brian shifted in his seat, not really liking where this was going, but sat back to let her express her feelings while keeping his mouth shut. 

"I don't think I could ever trust Robin again after this, more less live with her. I mean my life here has been nothing but constant up and downs. Every time I get a little bit ahead, something finds a way to knock me back three steps and then I have to scramble to get back on my feet. Maybe I should just go back to Florida...Maybe this is the universe trying to tell me that that is where I belong, maybe this was too big of a jump for me."

Now Brian had to speak up. 

"Okay, I'm going to stop you there. Look Nova, I know your home life has taken a bad turn but I think you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You are a photographer for a major network company and I know you are making great money because they take care of their people. Now I don't know what kind of gigs are available down in Florida but I know that what you have here is the cream of the crop, this is the kind of work that most photographers dream of getting."

Even though Nova was feeling pretty crappy about her life, she knew that Brian was right. When Brian saw that she wasn't going to fight him, he continued. 

"Look, your a bright girl, I know things are uncertain with Robin but I know you have more people in your life than just her. Sure, you just started with this job but give it a few weeks for when your money starts to kick in, I know you will be able to get back on your own feet and then you won't need anybody and until then, I will help you with whatever you need. We are friends right? And that's what friends do..."

Nova couldn't help but smile. She knew that she wasn't going to take anything from Brian but it still felt good to know that she still had him in her corner. And he was right, she did have more people than just Robin. She did come a long way and it would be stupid to to abandon all of the relationships she had made and all the work she had done over this. And who was to say that Florida would be any different?

Before she could say anything else, she felt something bop her in her lower back. 

"Oh" Nova startled. She turned around to see a chubby gray and white kitty sitting promptly behind her, waiting for affection. 

"Oh my goodness! You must be Chessie!" Nova squealed, fully turning around, completely abandoning her and Q's conversation. She had never met any of Q's cats, but he always talked about them and would snap her pictures of them all the time. He was about as passionate about his cats as she was about her photography. 

Q looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yupp, that's my chess-miester" 

"You are more adorable in person than you are in pictures sir!" Nova said as he leaned into her hand when she reached to pet him. 

"And sweet too!"

Chessie let out a little mew and rolled over on the floor in front of her to give her his belly. He was the sweetest little cat she had ever met and she already had him purring. 

Brian leaned forward, enjoying watching someone love up on his cats the way he did.

"Ohh, looks like someone else wants to join the party" Brian said as he noticed another little kitty peering out of the hallway. 

"Awww and you must be Brooklyn! Oh my God Brian she is so cute! Come here sweetie! Pssp pssp pssp" Nova called out, trying to get her to come over to her. She out stretched her hand to coax Brooklyn over and Chessie took the opportunity to bop Nova in the side of the face with his head. 

Both Brian and Nova snickered and Nova laid down on her side to scratch Chessie's bum. 

"Ohh he really likes it when you do this" Brian said as he moved to get off the couch and sat next to Nova on the floor. He began to tap Chessie's behind and Nova laughed at how crazy it began to make him. He started pawing at the carpet and he nose dived into Nova's leg, purring up a storm. Nova scratched his ears as Brian continued to pat him and they laughed and commented on the reaction they were getting from him. 

Brooklyn meowed and came over, once she saw that Nova was no threat. 

"She's so cute! I love little black and white cats! It's been so long since I've been around any animals!" Nova exclaimed. She loved animals more than people most days and it was really cheering her up being around the cats. 

"Yeah, I've had all three of them since they were kittens. Benjamin Cat is around here somewhere, he's more shy though. He's kind of a grumpy old man, he likes to be left alone most of the time" Brian explained. 

"Aww I wish he would come out, I'd love to see him. You have talked about him so much, I wanna meet him" Nova said as she put her face up to Chessie's, laughing when he headbutted her out of affection. 

"Chessie seems to really like you" Brian said as he picked up Brooklyn and cuddled her. 

"Well you can tell Chessie the feeling is mutual, Right buddy?" She said, letting the cat head butt her again. 

Brian watched as she continued to love on the two cats. Nova was really good with animals and sure Chessie and Brooklyn were good with just about anyone, but it was really endearing to see how both cats immediately took to her, both nose diving into her and wanting all of her attention. She grabbed a cat toy and threw it around, giggling as both cats went for it. 

At one point, Nova caught Brian's eyes watching her and Brian looked away, embarrassed that she caught him. Slowly his eyes drifted back to hers and she smiled at him. 

"Thank's Brian...I'm sorry I got all Debbie Downer on you...I know it will be okay...Like you said, I just gotta figure it all out."

Brian smiled warmly at her and said "Anytime...I'm happy that we can still be friends...After...You know."

Nova smiled and nodded, turning her attention back to the cats. 

"You know, it really does suck...All that time wasted. It seems like it was just a big misunderstanding" Brian said, feeling the situation out. 

Nova stopped petting the cat and looked at Brian seriously. 

"You know, we really were good together, right?" Q asked, getting a little more brazen. 

Nova looked at him and grinned. She looked as if she were tossing the idea around in her head and then she nodded. 

"We are kinda like my dad with his old ambulance. It may look pretty from the outside, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done on the inside and it is not the time or the place to start."

Q drew in a deep breath from the initial sting of rejection, but then pressed his lips together and nodded his head, knowing she was right. He knew that she was about to have a lot to deal with in result of Robin's lie and he respected that she was too prideful to ask for his help. At least he had her friendship and for the time being, that was enough for him. At least she was back in his life. 

Nova looked at him with apology in her eyes and he gave her a reassuring smile as if he was telling her he was okay. They both sat up and Nova pulled out her phone to look at the time. 

"Wow...It's after 1AM...Gee, sorry I've kept you up so late" Nova said stretching. 

"Ahh it's okay, I'll find a way for you to make it up to me" He joked. Nova yawned and gave Chessie one final pet before standing up. 

"Do you think you can take me to a hotel? I really think I need more time before I go back home. I'm not ready to deal with this whole mess yet" Nova asked. 

"Well why don't you just stay here?" Brian said as he stood up. 

"Huh?" Nova asked, not sure if she heard him right. 

"Well I do have a spare bedroom...The only ones who use it are my parents when they come once in a blue moon, you are more then welcome to use it...Beats spending all that money on a hotel."

Nova was about to say no but she knew it was late and it would be less hassle for Brian than driving around this late at night to look for a hotel. She felt guilty enough that she had him pick her up in the first place and she definitely was not going to make him drive all the way back to her place. 

"Ohh...Well if that works for you then yeah...That would probably be much better...Thank you" 

"Yeah no problem, it already has clean sheets on it so it is ready to use" Brian said, now doing a stretch and a yawn himself. 

"Good thing we got the day off tomorrow so we can sleep in, I'll thank you properly in the morning with breakfast" Nova said sweetly. 

"Well I don't think I would ever be the one to turn down free breakfast, it's a deal" Brian joked. 

He led her to her room and showed her where the remote was for the television, incase she wanted to watch anything before she went to bed. 

"Well I guess this is goodnight" Brian said finally.

"Yupp, goodnight, and thanks again" Nova replied, feeling grateful.

"Hey one more thing...Before you said it wasn't the time or place...Does that mean that some day there will be a time and a place?" Brian asked, catching Nova off guard. 

Nova blinked at the surprise from his question. He knew he was being forward but he couldn't help himself to ask. If she said no, then he would fully respect her wishes and keep a friendly distance, but if she said yes, well then there was something to revisit again in the future.

He couldn't fight the strong feeling of chemistry that he felt for her and regardless of whether her happiness was with him or not, that was all he wanted for her. To be happy and to know that she had people that cared about her and that she would never feel alone. 

She finally smiled and said "Maybe some day" 

The truth was, Nova felt the pull just as strong as Brian did. She really cared about him but her feet were not on solid ground and she didn't want to drag Brian into the slew of problems she was about to nose dive into. She was sad that Robin was a big factor in ruining their relationship and that she did not see that sooner, but it was what it was and Nova did not feel she was in the right mind or place for a relationship right now.

There was still too much work she had to do on herself and she didn't want Brian to wait for her and ruin his chance at happiness. If he were to have her, he deserved her at her best self and not the mess that she was about to become. She knew that some day she would not be like this and when that day came, if things were meant to be, then they would be. 

Brian smiled once more and wished her a good night again, with promises of seeing her in the morning. After he was gone, Nova closed the door and crawled into bed. She wondered if Robin was going to react to her not being there or if she was going to wake up to a bunch of missed calls. 

Deciding not to dwell on it anymore for the night, she rolled over and thought about how sweet Q was with her today. She was happy to have him in her life again and she hoped that he felt the same way. Maybe some day the stars would align and they would be together again.

Until then, his friendship was more than enough for her...

 

(I just wanted to say that I hope everyone is doing okay in quarentine and you all are safe and well. This virus is really effecting a lot of people and I know it is scary but we will get through it. If anyone is feeling like they are alone or need to vent/talk to a stranger or anyone for that matter, feel free to shoot me out a PM or a comment, I'm here for anyone who is feeling disconnected or lonely, no judgement at all, I know how it is. I myself have lost my job from all of this so I'm 100% in the same boat with you. I wish you all the best and this will pass!)


	27. Obligations

The next day Nova woke up before Q and sat up to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Oddly enough she actually slept decent, given everything that she went through the day before. She assumed it was because of how long of a day it was, she nearly passed out the moment her head hit the pillow. 

She slowly moved her feet off the side of the bed and stood up with a big stretch and a yawn. She made her way to the bathroom to do her business and then padded her way to the kitchen to see if Q had any coffee. 

Normally in someone else's house, she wouldn't be so brazen to get it herself, but she had this weird knowing with Q from their old status where she felt comfortable enough that she didn't think he would mind. She knew that he would have wanted her to make herself at home, and to an extent that was what she planned to do. 

It took her a little bit of rustling around to find it, but five cabinets and three drawers later, she found everything that she needed. As the coffee brewed, she heard a little mew and turned to see Chessie and Brooklyn staring at her eagerly in the kitchen entrance.

Still no sign of Benjamin Cat. 

"Well hello there" Nova said sweetly, looking down at the two little faces that were peering up at her. With that, both cats walked into the kitchen and began to dance around her legs, singing for their breakfast, hoping Nova would get the hint. 

"Oh...You guys must be hungry" She said. "Now where would your father keep your food?"

At the mention of food, Chessie began to scream as Brooklyn followed his lead over to their dishes. Sure enough they were empty. 

"Okay okay, calm down...We will figure this out...Now lets see" Nova hushed the hungry cats as she scanned the kitchen for where Brian might keep their food. She searched a couple of the lower kitchen cabinets and had no such luck. She could feel the cats growing more and more upset with her as if they knew she was not looking in the right places. 

"Alright alright! Chill out guys, you aren't exactly making this easy!" Nova sassed back at the cats while they tried to rub against her legs while she searched. 

Finally she looked in the lower level of the pantry and found a big bag of cat food. She smiled and picked up their dishes as both cats went silent and she poured a generous amount of food in each bowl. She even found a small tub of cat treats and placed a few on top of each dish as a way to make up for taking so long on feeding them. She also put food in Benjamin's dish, assuming that he would want to eat too, eventually. 

As the cats gobbled up their food, Nova continued to tend to the coffee situation and then climbed up on a bar stool, feeling her first initial sip work it's way throughout her body. She smiled, which was the usual reaction that her morning coffee gave her.

She even poured Q a cup, knowing that he would be down soon enough, fixing it for him just as she remembered he liked it. She knew from past experience that if anything could pull him out of a deep sleep, it was coffee. He wasn't exactly a morning person from what she recalled. 

Sure enough, She heard some shuffling and in walked Brian Quinn with a messy bed head and a look of fatigue over his eyes. They caught each other's glances and Nova smiled, raising her eye brows up at him. "Good morning!" She said cheerfully.

Brian grunted out a greeting and made his way over to the coffee pot. As he walked past her, she smoothly handed him the cup of coffee that she prepared for him, giving him a little smile. He stopped for a moment and looked at her, graciously grabbing the mug from her and taking sip. Their eyes did all the talking for them in that moment and Brian couldn't help but smile and nod that she remembered how he liked his coffee. 

"Thank you" He said through a rugged voice and Nova nodded. Before she could say anything else, she noticed Benjamin Cat stroll in the kitchen looking for his breakfast. He jumped when Nova gasped at the sight of him. 

"Awww! Hello Benjamin! How are you!?" Nova squealed in excitement that she was finally getting to see him. The older black cat froze in step from the surprise of seeing Nova and not expecting it. He looked back and forth at Nova and Brian and then bolted in the opposite direction like a bat out of hell. 

"Ohh no! Don't go! You don't have to be scared of me!" Nova called out after him as Brian chuckled. 

"Eh, don't take it personal, he doesn't really let anyone near him but me and oddly enough Sal" Brian said, quirking an eyebrow. 

"Sal?!" Nova exclaimed in surprise. "I thought that he wasn't a cat person?" Nova said, being generous over the fact that Sal loathed cats. 

"Yeah I know, it's kinda funny how that worked out but Sal has known him since he was a kitten so I guess that's why he feels more comfortable around him" Brian explained. 

"Oh...Well I guess that makes sense" Nova shrugged.

They each took another sip of their coffee and watched the other two cats finish up their breakfast, which Brian thanked Nova for fixing. 

"So...What's on your agenda today?" Brian said, sounding like he was coming around from his morning ruggedness. 

"Well...I gotta talk to Robin today...We will see how that goes. I'll probably give Juan a call before I do that to fill him in on everything and tell him to prepare a couch for me. More than likely I'll be ending up there by the end of the day."

Brian pressed his lips and nodded, feeling a little relieved that she had worked out some sort of a game plan. He was considering to offer her to stay in his spare room but knowing her, she would never accept it and he didn't want to chance things being weird between the two of them now that they were finally back on friendly terms. If for whatever reason things didn't work out with Juan, he would revisit that subject later but for now, he just needed to let her figure out things on her own. 

"That's good, I really liked Juan. He seems like a really good friend and he was pretty cool" Brian replied. 

"Yeah, he's my buddy. I've known him almost as long as I have been in New York, him and I have just always vibed really well, I don't know what I would do without him."

"Well, I'm gonna finish this and then I'm gonna go back upstairs and change and then I'll take you back to Robin's so you can do what you gotta do, sound good?" Brian suggested. 

"Yeah, thank you so much, for everything really...I really really appreciate it" Nova said, reaching out to touch Brian's arm to let him know she was sincere. 

"Your welcome...I know I said this last night but I'm just happy we are talking again" He said leaning back and looking at her with a sweet smile. "I really missed you kid."

Nova couldn't help the blush on her face. Brian didn't want her to feel awkward so he quickly chugged the rest of his coffee and set his mug down, tapping the counter. 

"Okay, I'm going to get changed and I'll be back, thanks again for the coffee."

"Don't mention it" Nova said with a half smile and then she watched him leave the kitchen to head to his room. 

She couldn't help but stare at his backside as he walked away. After all, she was only human...

Soon enough, Nova and Brain were on their way back to Robin's. Nova gave Juan a call on Brian's phone since her's was still dead, to let him know what was going on and how Robin lied to her. She told him that she was going to confront her about it all today and asked if it would be okay if she could stay at his house and potentially be roommates for a while until Nova could fully be on her feet, literally and figuratively. 

"Of course girl!" He said. "I'm pretty sure Bruce wouldn't mind, as long as you don't care that we party till whenever, you're always welcome to come stay, this will be fun!" Juan cheered. 

Bruce was Juan's current room mate. They had been living together for years and even though Bruce was just as gay as Juan was, he was the kind where you would never know it. They were not a couple, just really good friends that went back even further than he and Nova did. Even though Nova did not see him as much as Juan, she still loved him just the same. 

"Awesome! Thank you so much! You will be the first to know how everything goes. I'm sure I'll see you later" Nova replied. 

Her and Juan said their goodbyes and then it was just her and Q in the car. 

"Juan sounded excited...Not that I was ease dropping but I could hear him through the phone" Brian commented.

Nova snickered. "Well, it's not like I'm not sitting right next to you...Ugh...I'm kinda nervous. I have never had a fight with Robin before and I have seen her get into arguments with people...She can be pretty brutal"

"Ah I don't think you have anything to worry about. I mean you are pretty damn well entitled to your feelings and she did do you pretty dirty. If she gets nasty with you then that should tell you what kind of friend she was in the first place, you never needed someone like that" Brian consoled.

"Yeah...We will see how it goes" Nova said before she buried herself in her thoughts. Q kept quiet, letting her sort things out in her head. He cranked the radio on lightly just so it wasn't so quiet. 

Q pulled up to Robin's apartment and wished Nova luck. Nova thanked him again for everything, feeling really appreciative for everything he did for her and to have him back in her life. 

"See you at work" Q said, giving her a wink. Nova waved and watched him ride off down the street. She turned to the apartment complex and took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she had to do. 

Nova let herself into the apartment that her and Robin shared and pocketed her keys. She set her purse down and walked into the kitchen. The place was eerie quiet and Nova called out to Robin but there was no answer. 

She cautiously walked around, almost as if she was expecting Robin to jump out and scare her, which they used to do to each other every now and then. 

She turned the corner to the living room and gasped when she saw Robin laying back on the couch. "Oh my God! You scared me half to death!" Nova exclaimed. Something began to feel very wrong when she noticed that Robin did not stir or wake at her words. 

"Robin! Hey Robin! I'm Home!" Nova said louder, before scanning the room. 

She looked like she fell asleep in her work clothes. She had black streaks running down her face from her makeup and Nova notices two bottles of Grey Goose sitting on the coffee table, one of them being totally empty. 

Nova sighed. She must have had a bad day at work and hit the booze pretty hard last night. It definitely was not the first time she had done this, usually it involved another guy, but she was probably expecting Nova to be home and decided to start without her. Nova lightly shook her head and walked over to tend to her, which also wasn't a first. 

"Hey Robin, wake up" She said, reaching down to smack her knee but there was still no response. "Robin! Wake Up! You passed out last night!" She said a little louder this time, but still no change. 

Nova felt her heart drop. Maybe this wasn't like the other times. 

She sat on the couch next to her in panic and grabbed Robin by the shoulders and roughly shook her, continuing to call out her name. She even slapped her in the face to try to get some sort of response, but there was no such thing. 

Nova started to hyperventilate and it was then that she noticed two bottles of pills tucked into the crease of the couch. Nova quickly picked them up and she felt sick when she saw what they were. It was a bottle of Xanax and bottle of Nova's personal pain pills that was prescribed to her after her accident for when she was having rough days. 

Both bottles were completely empty. 

Nova went into a deep panic and held her hands up to her head as her eyes began to water and her hands began to shake. 

"Oh my God! Robin!" She cried out as she continued to shake her and call out her name. She grabbed Robin's phone off of the coffee table, luckily it had just enough battery power in it to call 911. 

She put the phone on speaker on the coffee table and pushed Robin off the couch and stuck her fingers down her throat, trying to see if she could spike a gag reflex from her to cough up the pills. 

"911 what's your emergency" The operator said on the other line. 

"My friend! I t-think my friend Od'ed...I need an ambulance here right away!" Nova yelled with her fingers still in Robin's mouth. 

The operator asked her a few questions but Nova was in such a state of distress that she just answered 'I don't know" to almost all of them, until they told her that they were sending an ambulance her way. 

Right when the call ended, life had all the sudden sprang into Robin and Nova got her to throw up some of the pills on the carpet. 

"Oh thank goodness!" Nova said in relief. 

Robin continued to cough and Nova held her and kept saying "You will be okay, you will be okay" over and over again until Robin collapsed.

A few moments later, the ambulance arrived and after that, everything felt like it was happening in a dream, like it wasn't real. 

They asked her a series of questions and Nova did her best to answer them and then they carted Robin away, letting Nova know what hospital they were bringing her to. Nova asked if it was okay if she rode with them, giving that it would take her longer to get there since she did not have a car and luckily they complied with her request. 

Before leaving the house, she quickly went into her room and grabbed her charging brick so she could charge her phone to let the appropriate people know what had happened and so that she wouldn't be on her own dealing with this. She sat in the front seat of the ambulance as instructed and sure enough, the moment she was able to power on her phone, there was a flood of texts, phone calls, and voice mails coming through her phone.

Majority of them were from Robin of course, but there were a few from Violet and Heather as well, asking Nova if she knew what was going on. She assumed that in Nova's absence, Robin was searching for someone else to share whatever misery she was going through.

Nova didn't have it in her at the moment to hear the voice mail's (she had a feeling they were really bad) but she thumbed through some of the the texts. In the beginning they were legible. The basic "Where are you" and "When you will be back". 

She saw another text that pretty much summed up what led up to the incident. 

"Well...You are not here so I guess I will tell you, TruTV dropped me. I'm done. They fucking fired me. Fuck Pete and fuck the show! I hope it burns to the ground"

"It's a piece of shit show anyway"

"They have no idea what they just did. It is going to crumble to pieces without a proper publicist"

"Watch out, you're next"

Then they grew even darker, turning into "Its really selfish that you are ignoring me" and "Your a bitch, fuck you and fuck your life, this is all your fucking fault. This is what happens when you ignore your friends when they need you the most."

Nova felt her heart sink and she couldn't read anymore. She knew all too well how cruel she could be over texts, right mind or not. Even though she knew that she was not at fault and that it was okay that she had her own life to live, she couldn't help but wonder if she never left last night, would all of this have still happened?

And that was where the guilt set in.

She knew Robin had issues but she really thought she was working on them. She knew that the network had her under a lot of pressure and it was a rough job, but Nova couldn't help the pity that she felt for her, knowing that her whole well being relied on her job with the show. Sure she had other clients, but TruTV was her biggest by far and she had a lot of herself invested in that position. 

Nova closed out of her messages and began to call Violet and Heather to see if either one of them could get a hold of Robin's parents to inform them of what happened while she dealt with all of this. 

Despite all the bull shit that Robin had put her though, all she wanted for her right now was to just be okay and get the help that she needed. She didn't know where they would stand after this or when she was going to be able to confront her about her issues, but none of that mattered right now. 

All that mattered was Robin's mental health and Nova planned to stay with her as long as she could to make sure she would get through this.


	28. Robin

5 hours later and Nova was still unable to see Robin. Nova was not on her emergency contact list and she guessed that Robin was still in rough shape from everything so Nova sat out in the lobby and dealt with what she could for Robin, and she was exhausted. 

Not to mention, being in a hospital environment made her a little queasy, considering what she went through a few months ago. 

The doctor came out a few times to ask Nova some basic questions about Robin's history, trying to get an idea of what exactly they were dealing with. Nova did her best to answer all their questions, but she was getting the vibe that she wasn't exactly giving them what they were looking for. They kept asking the same questions about her drug use saying "And are you sure she doesn't have a history?"

As far as Nova knew, she didn't.

Sure she would dabble in a little bit of pills if she was having pains or do a little cocaine here and there only when she was at parties, but Nova never pegged Robin to be a drug addict. Surely she would have known if she was, being that they lived together. She kept trying to tell them and herself that it was probably an emotional response to her getting fired and not a habit. 

Violet and Heather came up for a little bit to sit with her, but each of them had their jobs to get to and couldn't stay for long. They were one of the first people that Nova called, mostly because she needed support for herself, she was really shaken up when she first arrived.

Nova did manage to get a hold of Robin's parents and told them what happened. They booked their flight immediately and they were suppose to be coming tonight, they arranged everything. 

As bad as it made Nova feel, she kept asking herself what she was doing. She was still furious at Robin for lying and having a hand in her and Q's break up but she couldn't find it in her to just leave. This felt so much bigger than that. She had to make sure Robin was going to be okay and it just wasn't in her to not care. 

Sure she was mad at Robin, but that didn't mean that she wanted to see her die either, she decided to put their issues on the back burner until Robin was back on her feet again. It felt like the right thing to do.

If Robin did this to herself over her depression, then now was definitely not the time to hash it out with her, whether she was right or wrong. Nova didn't know how fragile she would be. 

As Nova was coming back from fetching her third cup of coffee for that day, she got to thinking about her situation. Robin said over the many drunken voicemails she got that Pete fired her from the network. Nova knew it was a big deal to her from how much pressure she was always under but Nova couldn't help but wonder what got her fired in the first place.

From what Q said, she wasn't exactly one of the most liked faces in there, maybe it had something to do with that?

She wondered if Q knew anything about it.

Nova stepped outside the waiting room of the hospital to get some fresh air and to call Q. It seemed like she had plenty of time on her hands until she could figure out what was what so there was no better time to call him. 

"Hey Nova, what's up?" Q answered coolly. 

"Hey. Well I would love to say nothing much, but to be honest I have been kinda going through hell since I last saw you."

"Yeah? Are you okay?" Q asked out of concern. Nova could hear the sudden alarm in his voi

"Yeah, I'm okay, it's Robin." Nova answered vaguely.

"I'm guessing thing's didn't exactly go well huh?" 

"No...Not exactly...We kinda have a problem" Nova cringed.

"Yeah? What's going on?"

"Well...I got back to the apartment, guns loaded figuratively speaking and I couldn't find Robin anywhere. I walk into the living room and there she was passed out on the couch so I call out to her a few times and she didn't answer so I'm like okay, that's weird. So I walk over and I start to physically shake her to get her to wake up and still nothing."

"Oh no" She heard Brian say in a dreadful voice as she continued on with her story. 

"So I start freaking out and that was when I noticed she had almost 2 empty bottles of Grey Goose on the coffee table, an empty bottle of Xanax AND my personal pain pills from my accident! So needless to say, I have pretty much been at the hospital since I last saw you" Nova finished explaining. 

"Ohh shit! Do you want me to come up? I can leave now" Q asked, trying to be helpful.

"Nahh...I'm good. No sense in both of us being bored out of our minds. I'm waiting for Robin's parents to get here. They should be here in a few hours, hopefully. The sucky thing is I have no clue on how she's doing. They won't tell me anything without her parents present, I guess it is a privacy issue."

Q swallowed hard on the other line. He remembered the hell he had to go through when Nova was in the hospital because he was not her emergency contact. He couldn't find anything out until Robin got there, how ironic!

"Well shit...That really sucks, I'm sorry to hear about that. Is there anything I can do? Are you sure you don't want me to bring you lunch or something?" Q asked so sweetly that it made Nova blush.

He definitely knew how to make a girl smile!

"No, I'll be okay, thank you though, that's really nice of you. But hey, uh there was something that I did want to ask you" Nova replied, cutting to the chase of why she really called. 

"Yeah shoot" Brian said. Nova walked over and sat down on a bench under a tree to get a little privacy.

"So as you know, I did not have my phone charger when I was at your house so my phone died. Well I guess when it was off, Robin blew up my shit trying to get a hold of me and she left me a bunch of voice mails. I'll spare you some of the rude details, but she said that she was fired from TruTV by Pete...Do you know anything about that?"

"What? No! Wow, that's news to me, but if you want, I can look into it and get back to you with what I found out" Brian replied out of genuine surprise. There wasn't anything in his voice that made Nova believe that he was lying, nor did he have any reason to.

"Could you? I would really appreciate that. I kinda think that that is what got this whole ball rolling and I'd like to hear it from the source before I talk to Robin. Something tells me that her story isn't exactly going to match up, but Pete would have no reason to lie. From what I understand, he was the one who brought her in in the first place" Nova said.

"Yeah, no problem. We are really cool with him so I'll give him a call after I get off with you and see if he can tell me what happened, he usually doesn't talk to us much about promo stuff but I'm sure he will tell me."

"Thanks Brian. For everything...Ugh, I just can't believe that she did this. I know that she has had issues with depression before but I didn't think it was this bad" Nova said with a frown. 

"Yeah I hear ya. Just don't blame yourself for it. You did nothing wrong. Robin was always on her best behavior when she was around you. It's like she you were a little sister to her or something, I think that she hid that part of her life from you well" Q consoled. 

"I guess so. It is just such a weird feeling ya know? Like I was so pissed at her this morning and I was all fired up ready to go in and then this happened and now...Well now I just want her to be okay" Nova vented her frustrations. 

"Yeah I get it. I know it feels weird but I think you are doing the right thing. I mean, I'm no saint but I think it's cool that you are not leaving her when she has nobody else."

Nova thanked Brian again for talking her though everything and then hung up with him so she could see if Robin was able to accept visitors yet. She kept her phone in her hand the whole time, just in case Q called her to tell her what exactly happened with Robin. 

Unfortunately she was still unable to see Robin, but luckily Robin's parents had arrived an hour later. Nova picked her tired eyes up from an old magazine she was reading to pass the time when she heard a man with a deep voice ask to see Robin. They were in the middle of pulling out their identification to show the nurses station when Nova walked up to them. 

Her dad was wearing a very formal grey business suit and her mother was in a pretty polka dot dress with a white brimmed hat. 

Now Nova was not one to judge, but for a couple that just got off the plane to deal with their daughter's over dose that they had only just found out about this morning, they looked like a well put together husband and wife from one of the magazines she used to take pictures for. They looked like they had just come from church.

"Hi, are you Robin's parents?" She asked politely. 

Robin's mother turned around at the mention of her daughters name. Then her father and they showed Nova kind eyes, assuming that she was the one that they spoke to earlier. 

"Yes! Yes we are! You must be Nicole! So nice to meet you! I'm Richard and this is my wife, Patricia" Robin's father gingerly shook Nova's hand. 

"Hi, and it's actually Nova. I'm happy you guys made it here" Nova corrected.

After apologizing for getting Nova's name wrong, which Nova thought was odd considering she lived with their daughter, they thanked Nova up and down for all that she had done. 

"I'm so happy that Robin has a friend that is as nice as you to help her though one of her episodes. She is so lucky to have you in her life" Robin's mom gushed while having a hold of Nova's hand. 

Nova couldn't help but quirk her eye brow at the mention of Robin's "episodes" while her mom laid on the nice act thick.

Nova had never met or spoken to Robin's parents before all of this, but Nova couldn't help but think it was odd at how they were acting. She didn't really put much thought into it but they seemed happy and energetic, as if Robin had just given birth instead of O'Ded. 

"I know she would have done the same for me and there was no way I could have left her. I'm just happy that you guys were able to get here as soon as you could, they still won't tell me anything" Nova said. 

With that, a doctor came down and shook hands with her parents and introduced himself. He was the doctor that was assigned to Robin. He asked her parents first if it was okay if he spoke in front of Nova. Once they gave him the thumbs up, he began.

"The good news is Robin is okay. It was a little but of touch and go there because her brain lost some oxygen but it wasn't for that long and we were able to revive her in time. You guys are more than welcome to come up and visit with her, just know that she is still a little out of it, but I am going to highly recommend that you take her to a rehab center immediately after she is discharged" the doctor advised. 

Nova's eyes went wide. She figured that this was going to happen but she was still surprised to hear it. She looked over at Richard and Patricia and they were both nodding their heads, as if this was standard protocol. 

"If you want, I can give you some pamphlets for a few places that I recommend. They are a little bit of a drive but I assure you they are up to standard."

The doctor started mentioning off a few places but Robin's father held up a hand and said "That is okay, we have a place that we have used before, we will take her there."

Nova's mouth practically hit the floor. It made her seriously wonder just how sick Robin was. She definitely covered it up well, as Nova had never heard any stories about her being in rehab before. 

When it was time to go up and see Robin, Nova politely opted out. The doctor said that she was okay, which was what Nova wanted to hear and she didn't think Robin would want her to see her like this. She would give it a day so Robin could get her wits back in her and come back tomorrow. Plus she she thought that it was best that she get some alone time with her parents.

She was sure they had a lot to talk about. 

Nova said her goodbyes and Richard shook Nova's hand, saying they would be in touch. Nova thanked him and said goodbye one more time before she was finally off the hook and on her way home. 

Nova let out a deep sigh. She decided to walk home to help clear her mind and try to process everything that had happened today.

One thing was for sure, Robin's parents seemed off. Definitely nothing like Robin who was always the life of the party no matter what room she walked into. Her parents seemed so prim and proper and not exactly like they were clueless about Robin's lifestyle, but more like they knew too much and just accepted it, or it just didn't bother them.

There was definitely something weird going on there, but Nova couldn't quite put her finger on it. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to...

She walked a couple of blocks and shot out a text to everyone to let them now Robin was okay and that everyone would be able to see her tomorrow. She decided to give Q another call to relay the news and see if he found out anything more about what they had talked about earlier. 

Sure enough he picked up on the first ring. After their initial greeting's Nova asked him if he was able to get a hold of Pete. 

To Nova's delight, he was able to speak to Pete, and he had news. 

"So I according to Pete, he fired Robin for multiple reasons. The first one being the obvious, he didn't like her attitude...Well, let me rephrase that, NO ONE liked her attitude and she was constantly challenging him on any idea that he brought to the table."

"Yeah, that sounds like Robin" Nova agreed, remembering how most of her business calls went when she worked for her. 

"Yeah well that's not it. He said that her performance has been slipping lately. She has been letting a lot of things fall through the cracks and he said that she forgot about the last few meetings they had scheduled, which he was really pissed about. I guess he had to pull some serious strings on his end for everyone to have the time and she just never showed" Q explained. 

"Wow...Now that doesn't sound like Robin. I mean, I haven't exactly been checking in on her lately but she was always very organized and her work was everything to her, she never missed a meeting like that when I was helping her out."

"Yeah well Pete was assuming it was because she was taking other jobs and putting the network on the back burner. He said she was getting too unpredictable and he could no longer trust her that she would see a project through so he let her go. We need someone who is more committed and who takes the show seriously. I know she was your friend, but I gotta say I'm with Pete on this one" Brian explained. 

He knew he was driving into some risky territory by saying that, but he knew he was right.

"Yeah, no I get that. I just can't believe that Robin let that job go to shit. I wonder what happened...I remember when she got that gig and how big of a deal it was for her" Nova said, still shocked. 

"I know...Well she was doing good for a while. She did a great job reformatting the show and the little bit or promotional stuff she put together did helped us out a lot" Q said, trying to make Nova feel better. 

"Oh, and get a load of this, Pete said that when she left, she completely trashed her office. She threw all her papers and documents on the floor and mixed it all up. He said it's a real mess" Q added. 

Now that sounded like Robin. 

"Yeah...Robin never did good with rejection...That really sucks" Nova replied. 

"Oh and head's up, Pete is probably going to talk to you about everything tomorrow. I told him he had nothing to worry about but he is concerned that you are going to quit, being that she is your friend and all."

"Well he's got nothing to worry about...I'm not going anywhere...But wow really?" Nova said, grinning from ear to ear. She didn't think that she meant that much yet and it tickled her that he felt the need to ask Brian about Nova's position. 

"Eh what can I say, you got alotta friends here, you know how to make a killer impression" Brian encouraged. 

"Well thank ya very much" Nova said with a little sass. She appreciated Brian saying that and it did make her feel a little better. 

"Are you gonna be good to join us on set tomorrow?" Brian asked. 

Nova almost forgot that she still had a day of shooting ahead of her tomorrow, and she wouldn't miss it for the world. Robin was going to have to take a back seat until they were done. 

"Oh shit...That's right. Yeah, I'll definitely be there" She said confidently.

"Are you sure? I mean I'm sure everyone would understand..." Brian started but Nova assured him again. 

"No, seriously, it's okay. I think it will be good for me to get my mind off everything. I wanna go."

Brian smiled on the other line. 

"Alright..Do you need a ride? I know Joe and Murr and riding together and I was gonna pick up Sal but I can leave a little earlier and get you too if you want" Brian offered. 

"Aww thanks! But that's okay, I'm gonna catch the van at the network and ride with everyone else" 

Nova hoped that he wouldn't take her refusal personally. Honestly she just didn't want to have to take the ride with Sal. She still wasn't over his attitude towards her.

Brian couldn't help the little ping of disappointment he felt but he hid it in his voice. Besides, he wasn't sure is having her and Sal together in one vehicle for that amount of time would be the best idea. Now that he thought of it, he was actually happy that she declined. 

"Alright no problem, well then I'll see you tomorrow" Brian said, getting ready to hang up with her. 

"Oh wait, just in case if I miss the van, what was the name of the place called again that we have to be at?" Nova asked. 

"Well it's actually all the way in Long Island. It was the closest place we could find that would let us all in" Brian began to explain.

...."It's called Long Island Skydive"....

(This chapter was about as boring to write as I'm sure it was for you to read, but I pinky promise that the next one will be way more exciting! Gotta love transition chapters...NOT! Thankyou to all who are still with me! I hope you all are staying safe and well!)


	29. Look Out Below!

The next morning, Nova got up early and went to work just as she planned to do. She still hadn't heard from Robin or her parents since she left the hospital the day prior and she decided to leave them alone for the day to give them all a chance to work out what was going to happen next. 

Robin was not exactly forgiven yet in Nova's eyes and Nova knew it was going to be a long time before she was. She knew that she did the right thing by getting her to the hospital and waiting for her parents to arrive but Robin's mishap was not enough for Nova to completely forget what she had done to her. There was a lot of damage she caused and Nova was not going to go the extra mile for her anytime soon. 

Between what she did to her and Q and the hurtful voicemails, Robin was going to be on her shit list for a while. Nova knew that she had a lot of issues that Robin had to work out and she did wish her the best as far as her recovery went, but that was about as far as her good wishes were going to go. 

Nova arrived to the skydive center in the travel van with the rest of the crew. Today, according to Allison, they were going to be filming a punishment that Murray had to do. Little to his knowledge, he was going to be jumping out of a plane today and Murr had no clue about it!

He was going to be under the impression that he and the guys were going to be teaching a skydiving class, and not actually part taking in the event itself. The guys were going to surprise him when they were in the middle of doing their intro, and go from there. 

Nova could not wait to see his reaction when he found out!

They all drove up to the entrance and together, they started bringing in all the equipment. Geoff led the way and gave a low down of how he wanted everything set up and everyone went to work on it. Even though she hadn't been with the crew for long, Nova was starting to catch on to the routine and how they did things. She had always been a fast learner and did well being thrown into things. 

Nova was in the middle of running cords when Sal and Brian showed up. This was one of the few shoots where they didn't have to show up later, being that they had the whole place rented out for the day and outside access to the place being limited. They didn't have to worry about strangers coming up and getting in the way during set up, trying to get close to the Jokers. 

"Hey" Brian said as he walked up to Nova who was on her hands and knees taping down a cord. 

"What's up" Nova said casually as she looked up to see him. 

"Nothing much, how did last night go?" Brian asked, referring to Robin. 

"Eh, I don't know. I haven't spoken to anyone...I'm not exactly going out of my way to do so, so I guess I'll know whats going on when Robin is well enough to come around and tell me herself" Nova said dully. 

"Yeah? Well that has got to be frustrating, Do you know when she's getting out of the hospital?" Brian asked. 

"Not a clue" Nova said as she stood up and stretched with the roll of tape in her hands. She didn't really want to talk about it anymore. 

"So, Does Murr still not have a clue what's going on today?" Nova asked, trying to change the subject. 

"Nope...No idea! He should be arriving soon with Joe, I think Joe wanted to give him a ride so that he won't try to leave. He's going to flip! I can't wait to see how everything translates to film, I know for a fact he HATES heights."

"Hahaha yeah, you don't get much higher than that" Nova replied as they began walking back to base. 

"Welllll....figuratively speaking, I would have to disagree with you" Q said, looking at Nova out of the corner of his eye.

When his joke fully registered in her mind, Nova made a face and playfully slapped him in the arm as he laughed and made a goofy smile. He was definitely something else, she was happy that the two of them were able to maintain a friendship after everything they had been through. 

When they arrived back to base, Nova got started on getting the GoPro cameras set up like how Allison showed her and Q helped. He was able to show her a few more settings on them that she didn't know about and a few tricks to help set the white balance. Soon enough, Joe and Murr arrived and then they were able to get started. 

After saying hello to Joe and getting her usual hug from him, Nova quickly set her DSL camera to where it needed to be and stood behind the camera crew, ready to capture the sequence of when they told Murr exactly what they were going to be doing.

First, they had to shoot a mini intro with just Brian, Joe, and Sal while Murr was getting ready in the gear that he needed for the so called "class" to explain to the audience how this was really going to play out. As far as Murr knew, this was not even a punishment, but a challenge that they were all suppose to part take in. 

Murr was all chipper with smiles when they were helping him into his suit and Nova could tell he really had no clue what they were about to hit him with. 

After a quick rehearsal, they guys lined up with the biggest smiles on their faces and then they began.

"Today we are teaming up at SkyDive Long Island in Calverton, teaching people how to jump out of planes" Murray began. 

All the sudden Joe, Sal and Q's grins grew wider on their faces in preparation for what they were about to tell their dear sweet friend Murr. 

"Welllllllllllll....." They all said in unison and it was then that Murr knew he was about to be in deep shit. Nova was able to perfectly capture the smile slowly leaving his face as the reality sunk in of what they were about to make him do and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. 

"Maybe we are not Murr" Joe said in a fit of laughter accompanied by the other two who knew they were going to be safe.

"...Maybe it is your punishment..." Q said as Sal clapped his hands together from the humor of what they just pulled off. 

That was when James Murray lost his shit.

Right away he started to tear off the Sky diving suit they put him in while screaming "No no no no NO! NO IT IS NOT!"

At this point it was even hard for Nova to contain her laughter, these guys were just too much sometimes. 

"So Murr thought we were coming here to teach classes today, but little did he know it was his punishment" Joe said, trying to compose himself to narrate for the camera as Murr bolted, still trying to rip out of his suit while still screaming that he was not going to be doing this. 

"I am not jumping! No way!" Murr screamed before he took off. 

After they stopped filming, they decided to give Murr a few minutes to process what happened and to hopefully come to terms with it. The rest of the Jokers and the crew were still in a fit of hysterics, they also needed a moment just to get a hold of themselves. 

Nova had tears coming out of her eyes from the energy of it all and right away she started thumbing through the all the pictures she got. She was really happy with how she was able to capture the sequence, with just a little bit of editing, her photos could really tell the whole story of what just happened. 

"Where did he go?" Nova asked, not seeing where he ran off too. 

"Who know's but that was great!" Sal screeched as he clapped Q on the back to prevent himself from doubling over in laughter. They were all so happy that they pulled the whole thing off, they knew that this was going to make a hell of an episode once it aired. They all agreed that it was one of the best things they shot so far this season. 

"I don't know where he think's he is going, I was the one who drove his ass here" Joe said as they began walking back to the base to see if they could find him. 

"Hell if it were me, I'd walk back if I had to" Sal joked. 

They arrived back to base and Allison said that she saw Murray run out to one of the vans and that he seemed really upset. They all figured he would be, that was the point, but they went to look for him with a limited camera crew to talk him down. 

They knew that this was going to be a tough one to get him to do and they didn't blame him for his reaction one bit, but this was for the show and they all had a pact amongst the four of them that refusal on anything was simply not an option.

"He is going to be fine, we already spoke to the guide and he said there is nothing to worry about, he will be strapped to a trained professional who has done this a thousand times, he needs to just man up and do it" Sal said out of annoyance as if Murray's reaction was an inconvenience to him. 

Nova was in no place to say, but she felt like Sal was being a little harsh. 

"Ehh let's just go talk to him. I'm sure he will do it, he just needs a moment to digest what we just threw at him" Q explained. 

"Well I know one thing for sure, I sure am happy to be on this side of things this time" Sal said with a laugh.

"Hmmm...Well I know what we are doing for Sal's next punishment" Joe said with a mischievous smirk on his face. 

When they arrived at the vans where James was hiding out at, Nova could see he was really in a state of panic. He was demanding for the keys of the van while repeating over and over on how he was not doing this. Nova knew that the network had already laid out a big chunk of money just to be there and it would be an awful waste if they had to all pack up and go home. She did not know much about how the network operated but she wasn't sure if they would be so forgiving if they did not get any usable footage out of today. 

"Just man up and do it!" Joe said as he threw Murray's suit back at him. Murr threw it back and Sal sincerely reminded him about the pact that they had made in the beginning about not refusing anything punishment related. 

Murr was a shaking mess and Joe added "Well if it make's you feel any better, we are going up with you...We are just coming down a different way."

Everyone busted out into a fit of giggles, except Murr who said "Fuck this...I don't care, I'll quit the show. I'm not doing it."

He ran back into the van and locked the door before anyone could say a word. Once they all composed themselves and realized that Murr was being serious, Sal threw down the suit and stormed away, all pissed off that Murr was acting like this. 

"Fine, if he wants to quit the show, then let him fucking quit the show!"

Nova had been standing on the side lines watching the series of events unfold before her eyes, and she couldn't help but shake her head on how Sal was handling this. 

Sure it was frustrating that Murr was not exactly being compliant, but she didn't blame the guy. This was a scary thing for some people and Murr really had it in his head that he was not going to get out of this alive. On screen, sure it was cool to point fingers and laugh but off screen they were all still friends and Nova felt like they should have taken a gentler approach and talked to him a little more. 

No one had explained to him the process, no one had explained to him that he was going to going down with a professional, and no one explained that he was going to be fine. 

Nova sighed and watched as Joe trailed after Sal. Q was standing there with wide eyes, not knowing what to do. He knew just as well as Nova did that Murr had to do this punishment, but he didn't know how to make it happen or what the right thing was to do in this scenario. 

Finally Nova rolled her eyes. She dramatically walked over to Q and handed him her camera. You guys go back to base, I'll meet you there in a bit" Nova instructed, taking the reins on the situation. 

"Where are you going?" Q asked as he quirked an eye brow at Nova. 

"I'm going to talk to Murr."

After Q left with the rest of the camera crew, now it was just Nova and Murr. Murr had locked his door on the driver's side of the van, but he failed to lock the passenger door that Nova climbed in through. 

The moment the door opened Nova could see that Murray was a real mess. Right away he started to yell at her "No! No no NO! I am not doing this. You can tell everyone to go home! I don't care if they are mad at me. This is too much!" 

He was really breaking down. 

"Shhh shh shh, okay okay, calm down. I come in peace, chill out" Nova said, holding her hands up to show that she was not a threat. Murr was still shaking and he had tears running down his face. He threw his head back and looked up at the roof of the van and Nova took that as her sign to move forward. She climbed in the van and shut her door, giving him a moment to try and get a grip on himself. 

He was hyperventilating and on the verge of a panic attack. Nova knew that she didn't have long before she lost him. 

She let another moment of silence pass before she spoke. 

"I have been skydiving before...Twice in fact" Nova started in a calm voice. 

She watched him out of the corner of her eye and she could see him pause a bit, letting her know that he heard her. 

"Not gonna lie, the first time was so scary. I made the mistake of mentioning it to my brother that I wouldn't mind trying it so for my 21st birthday he got us both passes to do it. Man, I sure put my money where my mouth was that day" Nova said smiling at the memory. 

Murr still refused to look at her and he didn't say anything so Nova continued.

"I thought he was crazy, I mean it was cool to talk about at first but man, the moment he presented me with those passes, whew! I will never forget the feeling I had. I was scared to death and seeing those passes made it real. Luckily we went the same day because I probably would have lost sleep over it. I think my brother planned it that way so I couldn't fake sick to get out of it" Nova said with a little laugh. 

"The whole time in my head I felt like I wanted to run, but there was no way I could show my older brother that I was scared. There had always been a thing about our relationship where I always had to be tough and never show him weakness. Anyway, outside I was excited and ready to take it on, but inside here" Nova said pointing at her temple and facing Murr. 

"I had on the emergency breaks" she said, raising her eyebrows to make her point.

Murr slowly turned to face her and he sniffled. "So what happened?" He said through a horse voice. 

"What happened? Well I jumped out of a freaking plane! That's what happened!" Nova said with a laugh. 

"I had the directer explain to me the whole process and I kept telling myself if my brother can do it, I can do it." 

"In the end, I found out from him that he was just as scared as I was" she added.

Nova shifted in her seat so she was now facing Murr.

"You see, the hardest part of the whole thing is jumping out of that plane. That is it. The actual jump takes about two seconds and then you have about sixty seconds of free fall and I got to tell you, it is not that bad. Being on a drop on a roller coaster is actually worse than the free fall. You see when you are on a roller coaster, you have a moment where you pause, and then it drops you like 100 miles an hour which makes your stomach feel like it is about to explode. When you are on a plane, you are already moving and when you jump, you gradually pick up speed as you go down. Before you can process any fear, your guide triggers the parachute and then you just slowly sail down." 

Nova now had Jame's attention so she continued.

"And oh my God, the view! The view is so incredible, you completely forget to be afraid. The view is what makes the whole experience worth it. You literally feel like you are flying and it feels so amazing! After you skydive, you feel like you can do anything, I actually went twice because I wanted to process it all again while knowing what to expect. I felt like it made me get a better of experience what it was like."

Murr took a deep breath and then paused for a moment. 

"You know...I don't think I could go a second time. I think one will be enough for me"

Nova's eyes lit up when he said that. She took that statement as if that meant he was going to do it and she was thrilled that she was able to coax him through, but she tried to hold back on reacting as if it would scare him away again. 

"Okay, okay well you don't have to do it twice but even one time will give you bragging rights...I'm sure none of the other guys have done this before...Before I went, I didn't know anyone who had went sky diving, I had so many people asking me what it was like and honestly, it kinda made me feel like a bad ass when they said that they could never do what I did" 

Murr let her words play in his head and finally he let out a shaky sigh and he smiled. "Wow...I guess I am going to be jumping out of a freaking plane today...Holy shit" He said as a pair of fresh tears streamed down his face from the reality of what he was facing. He had went through so many powerful emotions in a short time, Nova did not blame him. 

She grabbed his hand, which was still shaking, and cheered him on, letting him know again that he would be just fine. 

Before Nova could say anything, Murr just had to take things too far. 

He looked her in the eyes and said "Will you go with me?"

"Yeah sure, I'll go up in the plane with you" Nova said sweetly.

"No, I mean like will you jump with me?"

"...Wait what?"

Nova was hoping that she didn't hear him right. 

"I know I'm asking a lot but I think if I have someone go with me, it will be easier than just being by myself" Murr said, starting to come out of his panic. 

"Uhhh...I don't think it's in the budget for me to go too, I don't think they will pay for-" 

"Don't worry about it, I'll pay for it...I don't think I can do this alone and you are the only one who has done it before...Maybe you can talk me through it...Just please Nova...Please go with me" Murr begged while he started getting teary eyed again.

The look in his eyes were pulling on her heart strings big time. She realized just how much of a sap she was.

"Uhh...Okay...Okay, I'll go with you" Nova said, cringing internally at what she was agreeing to. 

"Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Murr cried while grabbing her hand to show his gratitude. "You have no idea what this means to me! I owe you big time!" 

"Uhh...Yes you do" Nova said nervously, wondering why the hell she agreed to do this. Sure she had done it before but both times, she had plenty of time to mentally prepare herself, as one should before jumping out of a plane.

Now she was the one who felt like crying. 

Murr told Nova that he had a few people that he was going to call and then he would be right in, and asked for some time alone. Nova happily agreed and exited the van to give him some privacy. As she was walking back to base, Joe, Sal, and Brian were walking towards her. She approached them with her head down. 

"Well, what did he say?" Sal asked immediately.

Nova stood before them, bouncing back on her feet a little, apprehensive to answer his question. 

"Welllll....I managed to get him to agree to do it..." She started. Right away she got big "yes's" from the guys who were excited that he was going to go along with it. 

"But" Nova continued. "He wants me to go with him."

They guys all had a confused look on their faces. "What like go up in the plane with us?" Brian asked, trying to get some clarification.

"Not exactly" Nova squeaked out. 

Sal and Joe just looked surprised while Nova watched Q's face go from surprised to angry. 

"Oh hell no! No no no NO! MURRAY, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND FACE YOUR PUNISHMENT! THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE DRAGGING NOVA DOWN WITH YOU, THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS AND YOU KNOW IT!" 

Brian was raging. 

"Well just hang on a sec, before he wouldn't even do it, now-" Sal began, trying to reason with Brian but he didn't want to hear it. 

"NO! This is bullshit! He can't bring someone else with him just because he is scared! That is not right and you know it!"

"Brian...It is okay, really! I don't mind. I have been skydiving before, I will be okay" Nova said calmly, stepping forward. 

"Nova, you didn't have messed up knee last time you jumped out of a fucking plane, did you? I am not going to allow him to manipulate you just because he is too much of a wuss to do it by himself!" Brian said angrily, looking back at the van where Murr was. 

Nova took a deep breath, now trying to control her own anger. As far as she was concerned, there was never a time where she let anyone tell her what she could and couldn't do and she sure as hell was not going to start now. 

She took a step forward, getting in his face and said "Bull shit you aren't going to allow me! Last time I checked I am my own women and I decide what is right for me and what is not, even if you did have any power to order me around, you gave up that right a loooong time ago SIR!" 

The attitude in her statement was enough to make Joe now intervene. 

Nova and Q began to argue and before things could get anymore heated, Joe gave Sal a look. 

"Okay okay okay, come on sweetie, come with me" Joe said gently, putting an arm around Nova's shoulders and began to steer her away. Sal did the same thing to Q, pulling him off into the field to cool down. 

"Can you fucking believe him? Who does he think he is trying to order me around like that?! And Murr did not force me to do anything! I could have told him no if I wanted to, he should be grateful that I want to help the show and jump out of a freaking plane for you guys!" Nova began to vent to Joe. 

"I know I know, It's okay, just calm down for a second killer and breathe...He is just worried about ya that's all....He just cares sweetie" Joe said, trying to calm Nova down. 

"Ugh! And then to bring up my injury! Like why the hell would he even go there?!" Nova continued. 

"Because, like I said he is just worried about you sweetheart, that's all. Honestly I am too, are you sure you are really up for this? I mean if you want to do it, far be it from me to stop you but I think you really need to think if this is the right thing to do. I know Murr wasn't thinking when he asked you but I just don't want you to get hurt" Joe said, trying to pick his words carefully. 

"Yeah, I should be fine, I mean I've been going to physical therapy and my knee gets stronger and stronger every day. I'm starting to be able to run on it again and it doesn't really hurt as much anymore, it just gets stiff every now and then" Nova explained, feeling guilty. 

Now that she was thinking about it, maybe Q wasn't as out of line as she thought he was. 

"Look, Murr will be fine. He doesn't need you to jump with him. We will get him to do it one way or another, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for the show, especially if it means you getting hurt, that is not what it is about" Joe said chauvinistically

Nova hesitated a bit before she answered. 

"Look, I told you I'm fine, I'll be fine. Like I said I have down this before, twice in fact. I know what to expect and how to land. I'll wear my knee brace to give me support, it will be okay" Nova tried to convince Joe.

Joe eyed her as if he didn't fully buy it, but he knew that in the end, this was going to be her decision, and hers only. 

"Okay kid...I just hope you know what you're doing"

 

So eventually Murray came out and after a few more strong words from Q and a few arguments from everyone in the group, they had it settled that Nova was going to jump with Murr. Well not exactly with Murr, but before him. 

For TV appearances, they spoke to Geoff about what they wanted to do and they came up with a plan. They were all going to go up in the same plane together and Nova was going to hang out in the back of the plane, that way when the camera was rolling, it would look like Murr was doing it solo and then Nova would jump with her guide first and then Murr. This way Nova would not be seen on the camera and then she would clear the way for Murr. 

She had to sign a bunch of paper work and wavers, basically starting that if anything were to happen, she could not sue the network for damages, since it was never in the plans for her to go in the first place.

Murr wasn't exactly thrilled about the plan, but it was either this or he goes by himself. 

After her and Murr were dressed and ready to go, they all started to head towards the plane together. Nova was beginning to get the jitters as she approached the entrance and she felt nervous. Murr was definitely going to owe her big time after this! She still didn't know what the hell she was doing or why she volunteered as tribute. The only thing she kept thinking was "The show must go on."

As Nova put a hand on the staircase to board the plane, she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see it was Q. She looked at him as if she was ready to brace herself for another fight. 

"Look, I just wanted to say I am sorry about how I yelled at you earlier. I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just really concerned about your knee. That is all. I think it is really cool of you to want to help Murr with this and the show and even though I still don't 100% agree with it, it is your choice and I won't give you anymore shit for it."

Nova's cold expression grew warm and she smiled. "Thank you Q, I appreciate you saying that...I'm still gonna do it but I'm happy your not mad at me."

Q made a face as if what she was saying was crazy. "Mad at you? Nawww, I could never be mad at you. I guess I'll see you at the finish line huh?"

Nova nodded her head confidently and Q outstretched his arms for a hug, which Nova gladly reciprocated. She could have sworn she felt him place a kiss on top of her head. 

Once they were all loaded in the plane, Nova and Murr's guides began the process of strapping themselves to their backs. She quickly introduced herself to hers, which she learned was named Paul, just so things weren't so awkward. After he was fully strapped to her, he began to explain the whole process of what she was about to go through. 

"I have actually done this before so I kinda know what to expect, though it has been quite a few years since I have went so thank you for the refresher." Nova said to him. 

"Ohh cool, I got a veteran on my hands" He said, sounding relieved that his job was going to be a little easier, knowing that Nova knew what was going to happen. 

Soon enough, it was time to open up the plane. Nova felt like her stomach was being squeezed from her nerves before, and when that door opened it just made things all that much more real. 

"Ohh Shit" she said, knowing that no one else would be able to hear her. She felt a cold rush of wind enter the plane, giving her goosebumps down her neck, and the guys screamed in unison from the excitement that was about to take place. Her guide tapped her on the shoulder, letting her know it was her time to shine and Nova's heart started to pound in her chest. 

She stood up with him and slowly they began to walk towards the exit of the plane. Everything in Nova's body was screaming at her not to do this, just as she expected it would. She knew that no average person in their right mind would ever be fully comfortable jumping out of a plane and that her nerves were just part of the experience .

She could see the guys talking amongst themselves, but she couldn't hear what they were saying, being how loud the outside wind entering the plane was. For a moment, she locked eyes with Q, and he was able to see right through her to everything she had been hiding since she agreed to do this thing. She knew he did too, and she looked away in embarrassment.

Maybe he was right, maybe she shouldn't have done this?

Knowing that she was scared, he reached out and grabbed her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles as a last effort to provide her some comfort. She looked back into his eyes sincerely and mouthed out "Thank you", and he nodded. 

She looked over at Murr who looked like he was about to cry again. As her and Paul scooted past him, she offered him one last fist bump, hoping to boost his confidence even a little. 

It was now or never. 

Nova continued to feel her heart pumping in her ears as Paul turned them around so that she was facing the guys one last time. Hanging off the edge of the plane, she flashed a smile and help up a peace sign as Paul slowly guided them off of the plane, and then she was gone. 

Now it was just Nova and Paul on this journey. Nova felt the familiar sensation of falling and she couldn't help the scream that escaped her mouth. Those 60 seconds of free fall always felt like they were never going to end and Nova felt like her stomach was going to go right up in her throat. She felt the force of the wind pick up making her cheeks ripple and she could have sworn she saw the curvature of the Earth. 

She screamed one more time and soon after, she felt her body jerk up in the air as Paul pulled the cord for the parachute. Now was the fun part. 

"Whew!" Nova breathed out loudly, trying to catch her breath.

"Are you okay? You good?" She heard Paul ask from behind her.

"Yeah...Yeah I'm great!" Nova said cheerfully as she took in the view of the world below her. There was something about the air from all the way up where she was that made it so nice to breath in. It felt cool and fresh as it hit her lungs and it made her feel free. All the lots around the skydive building looked like little green squares of many shades, it made her wonder what it was like to be a bird and have this view whenever she chose. 

She continued to watch as everything became bigger and more distinguishable and she started to see the spot where they were going to land. It was surrounded by crew members and the staff of the skydive company and they all cheered her on as her and Paul came swooping down. She gave a thumbs up before they hit the ground, and then Nova did exactly what she promised Q and Joe she wouldn't do. 

When they landed, Nova forgot to pick up her feet from the initial impact and she felt a pop in her knee as they touched the surface. She winced, but it was hard to give it her full attention from everything that was going on. Not to mention, her adrenaline was still maxed out so the pain did not really effect her. 

Once they stopped moving, she heard a round of applause around her and she looked up to see that Murr had finally jumped out of the plane. Smiling at the fact that he actually went through with it, Nova walked over to the side line's with Paul still attached to her and another staff member came over and started to help unbind them from each other. 

She shook hands with Paul and thanked him for everything and received some more back pats from her crew as she walked over to a nearby bench to sit down and try to get her nerves back under control from the whole experience. She let out a shaky breath and a few moments went by and she saw Murr land with his guide. She smiled at his reaction when he was finally back on land and took the moment to examine her knee when all the attention was on him. 

She knew she fucked up bad the moment when she heard that popping sound. She also knew that Q couldn't have been more right when he told her that she shouldn't have done it. 

She rolled up her pant leg and sure enough her knee was starting to swell already. Using two fingers, she gradually applied pressure in various area's to see where exactly the pain was coming from. Now that she was coming down off of the adrenaline, she was starting to feel it. Luckily, everyone was still occupied with Murr to notice the state she was in. 

Soon enough, the plane landed and out came Joe, Sal, and Q. After doing a few more things on camera, they were done filming and it was time to wrap up. Nova was still seated on the bench where she was. She was in a lot of pain and she knew standing was out of the question. She kept lying to herself that if she stayed just a few more minutes, it would be enough to give her the gusto to be able to help finish the day and pack up. 

It wasn't long before Q came looking for her. 

"Hey" He said casually as he approached her. 

Nova gave him a weary smile, feeling uneasy about being around him right now. 

"So how'd it go?" He asked, taking a seat next to her. 

Nova was as tense as she lied and said "Great! It was a lot of fun. It's been a while since I've did this...How's Murr?"

"Murr? He's doing good. He's a little pissed but he will get over it...How's your knee?" He asked, getting right to what she didn't want to talk about. 

"Oh...It's good...Just a little sore but it's good" She lied again. She felt embarrassed to tell him how much it really hurt. 

"You sure?" He said, cocking an eyebrow at her. 

Nova hesitated to answer this time. "No" She said under her breath. 

"What?" Q said as his head snapped to look at her. 

Nova shifted in her seat and looked away from him. Q let out a sigh and stood up. He walked in front of her and said "Alright, give me your hands."

Nova looked up at him and said "Q stop, it's fine, I just got to rest it a few more minutes and I'll be-" Nova started but was cut off by him. 

"No, Give me your hands" Q said more firmly this time. 

Nova let out a shaky breath and placed her hands in his. He pulled her up, trying to get her to stand and noticed how she wobbled in his arms. She stumbled into him a bit and hissed in pain when she tried to put pressure on it. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay, we gotta get you checked out, are you able to walk?" Q asked.

"I...I think so" Nova said, hoping that it was not as bad as she thought it was. Q held onto her and she took a step. She let out a cry and nearly fell to the ground but Q caught her before she could. She was in a lot of pain and every time she moved it felt like a lightning bolt was striking her in the knee cap. 

"Okay okay, come here" Q said, and before Nova could protest, Q lifted her up off the ground. Tears were running down Nova's face as she wrapped her arms around Brian's neck for support and she couldn't tell if it was from the pain, or from the embarrassment that she got hurt. 

Looking back on it now, it was a stupid idea and Nova hated to admit that Brian was right. She should have never done this and she was scared to see what shape her knee was in. 

"We gotta get you to a hospital" Brian said. He felt a ping of sadness when he looked down and saw her crying. He felt really bad that she got hurt and he wished that he would have been wrong from the start and she would have been just fine. 

But Nova was Nova, the same headstrong girl she always had been and the same girl her still had feelings for. There was no telling her what to do, and even though she only had herself to blame, he still loved her all the same. 

He just couldn't admit it yet....


End file.
